Trust in the Force
by Smack77
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi starts his life on Tatooine. What does the future have in store for him? We shall see...
1. Chapter 1

**Trust in the Force**

 **Chapter 1**

Obi-Wan Kenobi set his small bag of possessions on the floor inside the abandoned hut and looked around. It was small and somewhat gloomy despite the twin suns beating down through a hole in the roof. Dust and sand covered the few remaining pieces of furniture that littered the floor. A broken chair lay on its side next to an overturned bed frame.

It didn't take long to drag everything outside. Once that was done, Obi-Wan took a broom and swept up the piles of sand and other debris. He worked quickly but even so, the suns had set by the time he had built a fire and made himself a bed. He was too tired and heart sick to eat anything. The rest of the repairs would have to wait for another day.

As he lay staring up at the stars through the hole in the roof, Obi-Wan fought back tears. It was the first time he had really been able to process all that had happened. There had been no time to think of the terrible events that brought him here before now. Visions of the Temple rose in his mind. It had been his home since childhood, and now all he could think of was how slick the floors were with blood. He would never forget the shock he felt when he realized who was responsible for the carnage. Then came the horrible fight on Mustifar, the sickening feel of his lightsaber cutting through flesh and bone. The hate…the overwhelming hate and darkness spewing forth from Anakin as he lay burning on the ground. He hadn't stopped to think as he held Padme's hand on Polis Massa, her life slipping away leaving poor innocent Luke and Leia alone as their pitiful cries echoed in the cold room. He hadn't thought as he and Yoda parted ways so intent was he on safely delivering Luke to his Aunt and Uncle on Tatooine. Would he ever see Yoda again? Now, alone in his hut, his feelings began to overwhelm him. Everything was gone. Everything. He clasped his arms to his chest, unable to stop the tears any longer. Finally, exhaustion took over and he fell into a dreamless sleep for the first time in days.

For the first few months, Obi-Wan kept himself busy. There were endless repairs that needed to be done to the hut to make it livable. There was the water collection unit to set up and keep running. And, there were supplies to get from the nearby town. He exercised for hours each day. Using his lightsaber was out of the question, but he practiced running through the forms with a wooden staff just to keep from getting rusty. Each morning before breakfast he meditated and, while his attempts at contacting Qui-Gon had so far been unsuccessful, he kept trying.

Every day he hiked to a ridge overlooking the Lars farm and used his binoculars and the force to scan the surrounding area for any signs of trouble. Sometimes he would catch a glimpse of Owen out checking on the vaporators. Twice he had seen Beru with little Luke. She had been sitting on the steps leading down to the courtyard of their house folding laundry. Luke was propped up in the basket watching everything with great interest. She chatted to him and stopped every now and then to tickle his tiny chin or make a funny face while he gurgled with laughter. Obi-Wan smiled. Even from so far a distance he could feel the love she felt for the boy saturating the atmosphere around them. Yes, Yoda had been right to send him here.

Life settled into a routine and slowly the solitude, hard work, and harsh beauty of the desert began to heal the wounds on Obi-Wan's soul. As long as there was life, there was hope he told himself. He had to believe that. Trust in the Force and all will be revealed in time. Still, he couldn't help the twinges of loneliness that he felt with increasing regularity as he watched the glorious twin sunsets every evening from the front steps of his hut.

All his life he had lived around other beings. Someone was always around in the Temple if you needed to talk, or spar, or just get a bite to eat in the cafeteria. He had shared an apartment with Anakin for several years while he was still a padawan. Even during the war there were almost always clones or other Jedi on the missions he'd been assigned. He had never felt alone as he did now. He tried not to dwell on it. Those thoughts inevitably led him back to the reason for his current situation and sitting around wallowing in sorrow and self pity wasn't something a Jedi was supposed to do. "Well, tomorrow is another day." he thought to himself. Concentrate on that.

The next day Obi-Wan decided to fix the roof. He had put it off for quite a while, but now the temporary patch he had installed during his first week in the hut was beginning to come loose. According to the weather report he had seen on his data pad conditions were ideal for a sand storm. He had been lucky so far, but he couldn't rely on luck any longer. Gathering the tools he needed, he climbed up and began working.

Just as he finished pounding the last nail into place, a flash of light streaked across the sky. It happened so fast he would have thought it was his imagination had he not heard and felt a muffled thud flowed by a loud BOOM from quite a distance away. "A ship?" He thought. No, it had been too small. Maybe an escape pod? Smoke began to rise in the air. He jumped off the roof cushioning his fall with the force and began running in the direction of the crash.

He found what was left of a small escape pod about a mile from his hut. It lay precariously on it's side near the edge of a sharp cliff. Pieces of metal and glass were scattered everywhere. A fire had started in the engine and was beginning to consume one side of the pod drawing closer and closer to the only hatch that still looked like it would open. Someone was in there, he could feel it. They were still alive, but badly injured.

Without a moment of hesitation, Obi-Wan ran to the hatch, twisted and pulled as hard as he could. It gave, but did not open. Something must be bent! He tried again and again with the same results wrenching with all his might until finally something gave way and the hatch opened with a groan. Inside a woman lay sprawled over the controls, one arm still caught in the safety harness. Blood trickled down the side of her face from a deep cut on her scalp. She was unconscious. There was no time to loose. He quickly cut through the harness with his pocket knife, grabbed the woman under the arms and pulled her through the hatch.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Obi-Wan sat next to his bed absentmindedly stroking his beard. He wished he were better at force healing or, at the very least, had better first aid supplies. The woman whom he had pulled from the escape pod yesterday was still unconscious. The only time she had come around was immediately after he'd pulled her free of the wreckage. He had been forced to pull on her arm, which he was sure was broken, to get her free and she'd screamed in agony. She had looked at him then, her eyes wild with pain, confusion, and fear bordering on panic.

"Help me! Help me! Please…" She looked wildly around as if searching for someone.

"Shhhh…it's alright. I'm going to help you. You've had an accident." He'd said, trying to calm her.

"They can't find me! I can't…let them find me.." And with that, she passed out.

Once they were back at his hut, he had put her down on the bed and started to do what he could for her injuries. He put a splint on her arm and propped it up on some pillows. Superficial cuts and scrapes from the glass that had shattered covered her arms and face. He carefully cleaned these and the deep cut in her scalp and liberally applied bacta gel. Finally, he bandaged her head with gauze. Now the whole side of her face had turned an ugly shade of purple and there was an angry looking lump on her forehead at the hairline.

Despite the injuries, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. She appeared to be in her early to mid 30s with long dark brown hair which lay in waves across the pillow. Thick eyelashes fringed her eyes which, he remembered, had been sea green. She was average height with an stunning hourglass figure. Always the gentleman, he tried not to look, but he had needed to check for injuries…

Obi-Wan's brows drew together in a worried line. Who was this woman? What was she so afraid of? Was someone truly after her, or was this some kind of paranoia brought on by a blow to the head? Had he inadvertently brought some kind of danger close to Luke? It was impossible to say. He shook his head. Maybe some meditation was in order.

…..

Luna Merris sat on the shuttle trying to look as if she traveled to the outer rim of the galaxy every day of her life. In reality, she had only ever been off planet a few times. Her heart clenched as she gazed out the window at the blue glow of hyperspace and thought of her life back on Corellia.

The trouble had all started a few months ago. Like everyone else, she had seen reports on the holonews about the end of the Clone Wars and the new Galactic Empire. She had watched the elegant speeches Emperor Palpatine gave promising thousands of years of peace now that the war was over. But, while she wanted peace as much as anyone else, something about the new Emperor set off warning bells in her head. Just watching him gave her a cold feeling deep inside that was hard to describe.

Luna was a teacher at Coronet Junior Academy, a small independent school on the outskirts of Coronet City. Her class of third year students consisted of 15 sometimes rambunctious and always endearing younglings. Most were human, but there were a few other beings in the group. That morning they had studied some Corellian folk tales and done a quiz on multiplication. After lunch they had music and were just settling down for a galactic history lesson when a knock came at the door. It was Headmaster Bowman who motioned her to come out into the hall. She stepped outside with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Luna, I have to tell you something." said Mr. Bowman. He was a short man with a round belly and wispy gray hair that stuck out in tufts over his ears. His usually jolly face looked worried.

"What's wrong?"

"The Empire is implementing new educational mandates. All schools in the galaxy are expected to follow them."

"What kind of mandates?"

"We will now be required to teach a new curriculum effective immediately. The materials will be arriving this afternoon."

"But we're an independent school aren't we exempt from this? Our funding doesn't even come from the Empire, I don't see how…"

"Luna, you don't understand. There is no longer a difference between public and independent education. All schools regardless of their former affiliations are now under the control of the Imperial Ministry of Education. We will follow the new regulations or we will close. No exceptions."

Luna's head was spinning. The implications were enormous. "How can they possibly enforce this?"

"They will start sending inspectors to schools within the next week and if we don't meet their standards…" His worried look intensified and he began rubbing his hands together as if to keep them from shaking.

"What? They'll fire us?"

"I don't know. Let's just say I've heard rumors and getting fired could be the least of our worries."

There was a faculty meeting after school. After a few announcements and updates, the new curriculum was handed out. Luna and her fellow teachers started flipping through the new materials. At first glance, the shiny new maps, books, and data pads looked impressive, but on closer inspection they began to notice certain things were missing.

"There are no mentions of the Republic or the Jedi in any of these history texts." said Mr. Cancel with disbelief.

"I noticed that." Said Ms. Aragie the Librarian. All the poetry that mentioned the Force has been removed from the new reading series."

Mr. Krumbein who taught intermediate science spoke up. "The chapter about Midi-Chlorians in the science books is gone too."

"Have you seen the list of approved songs? Anything written by a non-human composer has been cut. This is outrageous!" exclaimed the music teacher Ms. Lanning.

Angry voices began to rise in protest. "How can they do this?" "This is blatant propaganda!"

Headmaster Bowman raised his hands for quiet. "Please, people, Please!" He shouted. "I understand how you feel. I was very upset when I learned about all this. Unfortunately we really do not have a choice. If we refuse to make the changes our school will be shut down. As much as I hate this, we're going to have to do what they say. Maybe some of the restrictions will ease up a bit after a few months."

So, the following day the students returned and started the morning at a joint assembly saying the new Imperial Pledge of Allegiance followed by a rousing rendition of the the new Galactic Anthem that extolled the glorious virtues of Emperor Palpatine. There was something terribly unsettling about hearing these words lisped by children.

The following week the inspectors came. The two oily looking humans reminded Luna of used speeder salesmen. One was tall and almost skeletally thin. The other was short, fat and wheezed with every breath he took. They wandered around the building watching lessons, taking notes, and making holovids. It seemed odd that they even lingered in the cafeteria and walked the playground during recess. They were obviously trying to catch the staff at something and everyone was on edge.

Luna came back to her classroom one afternoon and found the skinnier inspector digging through her private file cabinet. "Can I help you?" She asked with as much disdain as she could muster.

"Ah, yes. Ms. Merris, is it? Would you care to explain this?" he asked in an accusatory tone as he held up _A Child's Guide to Heroes of the Republic_. On the cover was a picture of two Jedi standing back to back brandishing their lightsabers. Luna's heart sank. It was a book she had used as a read aloud for years, and the children loved it. They all fought over who got to be Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi during recess. But, when news came that anything having to do with Jedi was no longer acceptable, she hadn't had the heart to throw it away. It broke her heart to think both of them were now dead and considered traitors.

"What about it? That book used to be a favorite of my students." Luna felt sad. How could everything have changed so much in the past few weeks? Anger quickly replaced sadness as the man continued to stare at her as if she was some kind of criminal.

"As I'm sure you know, this kind of reading material is no longer acceptable. I suppose it's no surprise you would have a book like this. I've been watching you. You obviously don't approve of the new curriculum and you treat those dirty little Rodians as if they are as good as everyone else." He spit out the word "Rodians" like it had a foul taste.

Luna was so furious she was shaking. She thought of Danilla and Gordak the two Rodian children in her class. They were smart, funny, and interested in everything. She thought of Gordak patiently helping his human best friend Jarin with his math homework and envisioned Danilla running in from lunch sporting a blue milk mustache. "Well, you don't need to worry. I'm teaching your new curriculum to the letter and we spend so much time learning about the GLORIOUS Empire that there's no time for anything else!" She yelled sarcastically.

"Just as I thought! I knew there were Republic sympathizers here. This book alone is proof! What else are you hiding Ms. Merris?"

Cold feelings of dread began to creep down Luna's spine. She'd heard rumors of people who spoke out against the Empire. Was she about to end up in some nameless prison cell never to be heard from again? Why hadn't she taken that book home, Why?! She began to panic. Without thinking she grabbed for the book but the inspector sneered at her and held it out of her reach. She staggered forward, lost her balance, and landed on the floor.

That's when it happened. She was so focused on the book she didn't really notice the strange feeling that washed over her. She reached out and suddenly the book flew through the air directly into her hand. The inspector stood still with a shocked look on his face. There was a sharp gasp from the doorway. Mr. Bowman and the other inspector had come to investigate the noise and had apparently seen the whole thing. This seemed to snap Luna out of her daze. She leapt to her feet and ran out of the building at top speed leaving the two inspectors shouting behind her.

Once Luna was a safe distance from the school, she stopped to catch her breath. What was happening to her? She looked down at her hands in disbelief. That book had pulled straight away from the inspector but how? Had she used the force? She had read about it in plenty of stories, but never imagined she could do it herself! Then a thought occurred to her and her heart froze in terror. What if it happened again? She had to get out of here fast.

Without a moment of hesitation, Luna went straight to the bank and withdrew all her credits. She found a pilot in a nearby cantina willing to fly her to a space station in a nearby system where she caught the first shuttle available headed for the outer rim. She didn't even check the planet on the ticket.

After several hours in hyperspace, Luna began to relax a little. Maybe she had managed to get away after all. Now, the problem was what to do next. She didn't have much time to think. They suddenly dropped out of hyperspace and an announcement came over the loudspeaker. "Attention passengers, we are being boarded for inspection. Please have your tickets and Identification ready." The voice continued. "If you look to your right you will see the desert planet of Tatooine, home of Jabba the Hut…" The announcer droned on, but Luna wasn't listening. She was watching as two storm troopers opened the door at the front of the cabin and started slowly working their way down the asle checking ID's as they went.

Luna got up from her seat and walked towards the back of the shuttle. Hopefully they would think she was just heading for the refresher. In the back of the cabin next to the refresher was a small staircase marked "Private". She slipped past the sign and quickly hurried down the stairs into what appeared to be the luggage hold. Maybe if she stayed down here long enough they wouldn't notice her. She slipped behind some crates and waited. Before long there were footsteps on the stairs.

"I think I saw someone come down here"

"We'd better check it out."

"Copy that"

Luna began looking wildly around for a way to escape. It was pretty crowded down here, but suddenly out of the corner of her eye she saw her salvation. An escape pod! She ran, crouching behind boxes and threw herself into the pod. The door closed with a loud bag. So much for being stealthy she though as she strapped herself in and hit the "Eject" button. The pod broke loose from the shuttle with a lurch and floated free for a few moments. Then it started to roll, slowly at first but steadily gaining speed as the pod was caught in Tatooine's gravity. Her stomach felt as if it had been left behind in the shuttle. Too late she realized she had no idea how to control the pod. The last thing she remembered was the sickening spinning and then, nothing.

….

Pain radiated through her body. Why did everything hurt so much? What had happened? Luna opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. The room was unremarkable. A table, two chairs, and a stove were the only things she could see over the foot of the bed. There was a window in the wall directly across from her and the first rays of sunlight were beginning to shine through.

A quiet snore startled her and she noticed a man sitting on a worn looking trunk next to the bed. He was sound asleep leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed and his head at an uncomfortable angle. Shaggy locks of auburn hair fell over his forehead making him look younger than he probably was. A neatly trimmed beard covered his chin.

As she watched, a sand fly buzzed through the window and lazily made it's way across the room. It circled around the man's head a few times and then landed on the tip of his nose. His hand automatically reached up to swat it away, and the fly buzzed loudly in protest. He groaned uncomfortably and sat up opening his eyes. He looked so annoyed that Luna giggled. He started, turning his full attention on her. His blue eyes twinkled and he gave her a warm smile. "Well, hello there!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ben was amazing. There was no other way to describe it. Not only had he saved her from burning to death in the pod, he made her feel completely at ease in the middle of a terrible situation. Waking up in a strangers house with serious injuries and no memory of how she'd gotten there should have scared her but it didn't. Luna had always been an excellent judge of character and she knew Ben was a truly good person. He was also incredibly handsome. Currently he was facing the the stove making her a cup of tea, and she secretly took the opportunity to gaze appreciatively at his strong shoulders and alluring backside. There was something about him that seemed very familiar for some reason.

"Here we are" said Ben with a smile as he handed her a cup. She took a sip. Perfect. Just the right strength and sweetness.

"So how did you end up all the way out here on Tatooine?"

Luna froze. What should she say? She was certain she could trust him, but the predicament she found herself in was very serious. There was no point in lying. She was never any good at it. Besides, honesty is always the best policy. At least, that's what she told her students. I wonder what they told them happened to me, she thought sadly.

She quickly decided to tell him the truth, but to leave out the part about moving the book. Even though it had happened, she knew it sounded crazy. People didn't just start using the Force at her age! That was preposterous. They were identified early and sent to live at the temple. At least, that's what used to happen. Momentarily she wondered what would become of Force sensitives with all the Jedi gone. Any use of the Force was now against the law. She had heard two other passengers talking about the news on the shuttle yesterday. No, there was definitely no need to bring that book up.

Luna began telling Ben about her school and her class. She couldn't help but brag a little about the students she was so proud of. He nodded silently while she explained that the new Imperial Ministry of Education was taking charge of all schools throughout the galaxy. A look of disgust crossed his face when he heard all the changes that had been made to the curriculum. Then she took in a shaky breath and continued about the inspectors, the banned book, and the shouting match about her Rodian students finally culminating with her being accused of being a Republic sympathizer. She described her panicked decision to run, the flight to the outer rim, and finally the storm troopers boarding the shuttle. He took in a sharp breath at that.

"The last thing I remember is jumping in the pod and then spinning out of control. I don't know what I was thinking. I can't even fly a speeder. I always take the tram back home. It was a really stupid thing to do."

Ben took her hand. "I believe you did the right thing. These are troubled times and there's no telling what might have happened had you been caught."

Luna looked at his hand. A tingling sensation almost like a shock flowed through her whole body at the contact and she felt warm and safe and somehow…connected. It was wonderful! Ben quickly pulled away and stood up.

"I think I should go look at the pod and see if there is anything left that can be salvaged." He said. "Why don't you rest while I'm gone. I won't be long."

Luna smiled and waved slightly as Ben walked out the door. She was glad for the opportunity to close her eyes. Her head was pounding.

…

Obi-Wan walked quickly along the sandy path back to the crash site. He could still feel Luna's hand in his. Her touch had felt almost electric and had warmed a place inside him he hadn't felt in a very long time. Intriguing as this development was, it was something he'd have to set aside for later. There were far more pressing issues to think about right now. Best to keep a clear head he thought.

Something didn't quite add up. Her story had the ring of truth to it and he was certain she wasn't lying. It made sense that the Empire would take over the schools. Palpatine was no fool and certainly didn't want anyone questioning his reign in the years to come. The easiest way to ensure that was ignorance. If people grew up on a steady diet of propaganda glorifying the Empire they would believe it and soon there would be no one left who remembered the way things used to be. Quietly taking over the schools was a devious yet brilliant plan.

Still, it seemed unlikely that someone like Luna would be chased halfway across the galaxy over a children's book and an argument with a low level worker from the Ministry of Education. Surely the Empire had more important things to do. There had to be something else going on and he was determined to find out what.

Sure enough, as Obi-Wan was closing in on the crash site he felt a disturbance in the Force. Someone else was out here. He ducked behind some rocks and crept closer. As soon as the wreck was in sight, he noticed two storm troopers searching the burned remains of the pod and the surrounding area.

"There's nothing here." The first trooper said. "We should report back to the ship. They'll need to send down a search party."

"Come on…there's no way anybody could have survived that crash. Just tell 'em we found her and she was dead. This heat is miserable and my armor is chaffing." The other griped, pulling uncomfortably at the plastic codpiece of his uniform.

"No way. If we let a Force user get away and they find out about it, we'll have to answer to Lord Vader himself. I'm not risking my life because you've got a bad case of jock itch."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened. So that was it! She was Force sensitive. It was so clear now. He thought he'd sensed something when they touched, but he was so focused on making sure no one was looking for her that he had dismissed it. This was bad. If they thought she was still alive, they'd search the entire area which would lead them straight to him and if they found him…Luke would be next. He had to do something and fast!

He snuck back to the path and walked directly into the clearing making as much noise as he could. He approached the storm troopers who were still arguing and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me…"

Both troopers whirled around and aimed their blasters at his chest.

"HALT!" They shouted. "Put you hands up!"

He smiled to himself. Up went his hands.

"You can put down your blasters. I mean you no harm."

The storm troopers looked at each other. "Let's put down these blasters. He means us no harm."

Obi-Wan put every bit of the force he could summon into the next words. "You did your jobs well. The woman you are looking for is dead. Her remains were in the pod. You can go back to your ship now and report that there is no need to continue the search."

"The woman is dead. There is no need to continue the search. We can go back to the ship." They dreamily replied in unison. Obi-Wan watched as they picked up their blasters and walked back to their Tie Fighter sitting a few hundred yards away. He prayed that would be enough to stop to any more searches.

Back at the hut he found Luna limping out of the refresher. She appeared to be feeling a little better and gave him a beautiful smile. Another force user. How extraordinary! What was her story? She was close to his own age and lived on a well populated world in the Core. Was it possible she hadn't been identified? He had to know. Reaching out with the Force he gently touched her mind. _Luna_ Her head jerked up as if she'd been stung. It was not the reaction of someone who was used to the sensation. _Why didn't you tell me?_ To his surprise, her pretty face crumpled and she burst into tears. "What's happening to me?" she sobbed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"There, there. Whatever it is it can't be that bad." Ben handed her a handkerchief. He had that horribly uncomfortable look men usually get when a woman starts crying. "Please don't cry! I want to help you." He sat down on his trunk facing her.

Luna sniffed, wiped her eyes, and tried to pull herself together. She felt terribly foolish for her sudden outburst.

"I'm sorry! You must think I'm loosing my mind."

"Not at all. If you've never experienced telepathy before I'm sure it's quite a shock."

She stared at him open-mouthed. "Telepathy? How did you…?"

So many questions started flying through her head she wasn't sure which to ask first. "How did you know?"

Ben leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "I'm like you Luna. We're sensitive to the Force. That gives us the ability to sense and do things that others can't. With training I've learned to use and control these powers as you will in time. It's nothing to be afraid of if you learn to use them correctly. It's simply a part of who you are."

She wanted to believe him, but something still bothered her. "If it's simply a part of who you are then why didn't I know about it until now?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. It is true most people become aware of their abilities much earlier. When exactly did you first realize something was…different?" His blue eyes were full of curiosity.

"A few days ago. Everything I told you before was true, but something else did happen with the Inspector."

"Go on." Ben said encouragingly.

Luna picked at some lint on the blanket. This might be an everyday occurrence for Ben, but it was all brand new to her. She continued, her cheeks growing red with embarrassment. "He was yelling at me and shouting about taking my book. I tired to grab it from him, but he held it above his head. Then I reached out and it just sort of…flew through the air into my hand."

"Like this?" Ben stuck out his hand and Luna watched in amazement as a drinking glass that had been siting on the table shot across the room and into his grasp. He smiled at her astonished expression.

"Yes! Just like that!"

"Very interesting! And you say nothing like that has ever happened before? You're sure?"

"Yes. Never."

"Remarkable!"

Remarkable? Sure, if you could do it at will as he seemed to be able to, but she had no way to control it. She couldn't go through life calling things to her left and right without any warning! She suddenly pictured herself at the market with fruit and vegetables wildly flying through the air.

She looked at the floor. "What am I going to do?" she said in a small voice sounding very worried.

Ben reached out and took both her hands in his. He practically radiated sincerity. That unusual tingling sensation came back again, stronger this time. Their eyes met, and her insides melted just a little. "Don't worry. I know it seems overwhelming right now, but you can learn to control this. I'm going to help you."

"You'll show me how to use the Force? You would do that for me?"

He smiled sadly with a far away look in his eyes. "Yes. Believe it or not, I was a once a teacher too."

…

Obi-Wan sat cross-legged on the top step of his hut. Luna was taking a nap. Apparently his attempts at Force healing last night had been more successful than he originally thought. The bruising was almost completely gone from her face and most of the small cuts had closed up and disappeared. The gash on her head was significantly smaller and her arm was a bit less painful. She still had a significant way to go before she was fully recovered, but she was definitely on the mend.

So many things had happened in the last day! He was exhausted and excited and anxious in equal measures. After the disastrous way things ended with Anakin, he never expected to be given the chance to train another. But, there could be no doubt her being here was the will of the Force. She had literally fallen out of the sky almost on top of him!

Still, when mentoring someone there was always the possibility that they might fall to the dark side. Could he take that risk living so close to Luke who had the entire fate of the galaxy resting on his shoulders? This definitely required careful consideration. He relaxed his body and cleared his mind as he prepared to meditate. Peace settled over him.

The small life forms of the desert came into focus as rings of light. A few insects hovered in the air and a lizard lazily flicked his forked tongue as he basked in the last of the days heat. Obi-Wan could feel Luna in the hut behind him, her force signature a bit muted by sleep but still warm and purely radiant as a new star. He began to sense a familiar presence he hadn't felt in many years and his heart leapt with excitement.

"Hello my friend."

"Master!" Obi-Wan was overjoyed to hear the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn. He had missed him terribly since his death at the hands of Darth Maul and often wished he could seek his counsel when he encountered a particularly perplexing situation. With Anakin around, that happened almost daily.

"You have done well my young apprentice."

"But Master, I failed in so many ways. Anakin is lost to the dark side. He did such terrible things! If only I'd been better able to guide him. I was blind to so many of the signs. Maybe I could have stopped this if only I'd…" Bitter sadness and regret squeezed Obi-Wan's heart as he thought of Anakin.

"You are not to blame and could not have stopped anything even if you had known. What has happened was destined to happen. It was the will of the Force. Do not despair for there is still hope. You will ensure that."

He would ensure that? How? "You mean Luke?" Said Obi-Wan. "He seems to be thriving with his Aunt and Uncle and I'm doing everything I can to guarantee his safety."

"In part. All will be revealed in time."

"Master, I've discovered a woman who has just become aware of her connection to the Force. She is eager to learn how to control it, but I am unsure if it is wise to train another. I am also curious about why her abilities have manifested so suddenly."

"You speak of Luna Merris. She is one of many whose midi-chlorian count was considered borderline for acceptance into the Jedi order. When the purge occurred it created a vacuum and individuals like Luna began experiencing an increase their sensitivity to the Force."

"You mean to say there are others like her?" This was unexpected!

"Many. She is very lucky to have found you. Most of the others will not be so fortunate."

"So I should train her then?"

"Yes. She desperately needs your guidance. Just remember Obi-Wan, the Jedi order with all its rules and regulations is gone for a reason. You must find a way to avoid the mistakes that were made by those who came before."

"But what mistakes? How will I know…" He couldn't bear to be responsible for another spectacular failure. So much was at stake!

"Trust in the Force my friend. Search your feelings. You will know in your heart what is right."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They began training as soon as Luna was fully healed. Obi-Wan was impressed with her rapid progress and positive attitude. In spite of being far from home, missing her friends, and loosing everything that was familiar she threw herself into the their lessons with a whole hearted enthusiasm that was admirable. He knew exactly how hard it was to start over and she never once complained.

Obi-Wan had spent his whole life around other Jedi for whom using the Force was a normal part of everyday life. While he never took his powers for granted, the novelty had worn off long ago. Luna made him see these miraculous abilities with fresh eyes. One day, after hours of trying and failing, she finally succeeded in levitating a spoon off the table. He found himself holding his breath silently cheering her on. She gasped as she opened her eyes and saw the spoon hanging in midair just before it came tumbling down with a thump. Before it hit the floor she jumped up, pulled him to his feet, and threw her arms around him. "Ben! Did you see that?! I did it! I really did it! Can you believe I made a spoon float?!" Her joy and excitement were infectious and he couldn't help laughing with her as she danced around the table in celebration.

He spent hours showing her how to meditate until she could feel the Force flowing through everything around them. She seemed to find as much peace in the quiet stillness as he did which secretly thrilled him. He'd never said anything, but it had been a great disappointment that Anakin never really appreciated the practice much.

When they finished their lessons for the day, they would make dinner and sit on the steps watching the suns set in a glorious kaleidoscope of pink and red and gold as they ate. He found himself looking forward to that part of the day more and more. She was funny! She'd tell him amusing stories about her students and tease him about little things that had happened during the day and he'd find himself laughing like he hadn't in years.

One evening during a game Sabacc he watched her as she carefully examined her cards. Her hair was tied up in a knot on the back of her head. Suddenly he wondered what it would feel like to pull it loose and run his hands through the silky dark tresses. Would it feel as soft as it looked? He imagined her head falling back and her full pink lips parting in a sigh. What would they taste like?

"Ben?"

He shook his head and realized Luna was staring at him with a curious expression.

"Ben, are you alright?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and cleared his throat. "Yes, sorry. I was miles away. What?"

"It's your turn."

"Oh, of course." He quickly tried to focus on his cards again.

There was no question he was attracted to her. At first he had dismissed the feelings out of hand. She was beautiful and that was that. Except the more he got to know her, he began to realize she was much more than just a pretty face. She brightened his lonely world. No longer was he just existing, he felt alive again. Of course there was no way he could act on these feelings. The Jedi had rules about attachments. Besides, she trusted him and he was not about to take advantage of that.

What worried Ob-Wan was that Luna was awakening something in him that he hadn't felt since his one brief romance with Satine. That experience had hurt him so badly he never dabbled with personal attachments again and became very good at avoiding situations where he felt he might be tempted.

It wasn't that physical intimacy was forbidden. He could have taken full advantage of the nightlife on Coruscant. Many Jedi did, but he chose not to. There had been lots of beautiful women over the years who had expressed an interest in him but he always managed to keep his distance. It just felt wrong to use someone like that. To risk someone else's feelings when he was unable to give more was selfish and he didn't want to cause anyone the kind of pain he had experienced with Satine. There were brothels of course, but the thought of visiting one disgusted him. In his opinion only those who couldn't control their baser instincts frequented the red light districts in the lower levels. He wasn't an animal after all. So, he had spent most of his adult life taking cold showers, meditating, and occasionally taking matters into his own hands if all else failed.

At night Obi-Wan laid in bed listening to Luna's steady breathing behind the sheet they had hung to divide the room. How he wished she were there beside him! If only the rules were different.

….

The longer Luna knew Ben, the more curious she became. She couldn't imagine why such an amazing person chose to live alone on the edge of nowhere like a hermit. He was a fabulous teacher, the best she had ever had. He was patient and kind, always willing to listen and explain things over again if she needed him to. He was always positive and encouraging no matter how many times she failed at something. Yet sometimes, behind the warm smile she could sense a profound sadness about him.

One day, a few weeks into their training, they decided to go to Anchorhead for supplies. When they arrived, Ben went to get groceries and a few other items for the hut and she had walked down the street a little further to find some clothes. All she had was the outfit she had been wearing on the Shuttle. Ben had generously offered to let her use anything he had, but all his clothes were much too large. She was currently using one of his tunics to sleep in, secretly loving the way it smelled like him. Almost every night she drifted off to sleep imagining what it would feel like to have his arms around her holding her close, his beard tickling her as he pressed soft kisses along her neck…. Maybe he wouldn't notice if she kept that one!

A chime sounded as Luna opened the door to a small boutique in the center of town. It was lunchtime and the store was empty. The clerk, a pretty blue Twi'lek teenager, hurried out of a back room. She smiled brightly and asked if Luna needed any help. As she browsed, she kept feeling a growing sense of annoyance from the girl, but every time she looked back there appeared to be nothing wrong. The feeling grew steadily stronger until finally Luna could stand it no longer. She grabbed a few items and took them to the counter to pay.

As she passed the door that lead to a stockroom, she felt the annoyance turn to alarm. What was going on? Just then a young man appeared in the doorway looking disheveled. There were lipstick marks on his cheek. He looked from Luna to the Twi'lek, turning a deep shade of red. He mumbled a quick goodbye and bolted for the door. Oh! So that was it. Luna covered a smile with her hand and tried not to laugh.

A few seconds later the manager barged through the door with a murderous look in her eyes.

"I just saw Karson running down the street. You know you're not allowed to have your boyfriend in here during working hours!"

"He wasn't Miss Reeva! I swear! He must just be downtown for something else."

Miss Reeva looked highly suspicious. "Well, I'd better not hear otherwise. If I find out he was here here again you've had it. Did you put out those new sand robes?" She disappeared into the back of the store.

The clerk gave Luna a desperate pleading look. "Please don't say anything! I'll get sacked. I just wanted to spend some time with him before he goes off planet for the season." She whispered.

Luna well remembered getting in trouble for something similar when she was that age. She gave the girl a wink. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

She told Ben what had happened when they met for lunch. His sides shook with laughter at her description of the panicked girl and her boyfriend sneaking out of the shop.

"I leave you alone for an hour and you're conspiring to deceive the hard working people of Anchorhead." His eyes twinkled merrily.

"Well, who am I to stand in the way of love. Besides, everyone does something like that at some point. Don't you remember what it was like to be young? One time when I was 17 I snuck out my window and met my boyfriend under the smash ball bleachers at school. We made out until we got caught by the Headmaster."

Ben's mouth hung open. "What happened?"

"He shone a spot light on us and blew one of those canned air horns. We ran like the sith was after us."

Ben was silent, apparently trying to picture this.

"So I told you a story from my sordid past. What were you like at that age?"

"Well, uh…I don't know." His eyes clouded over. "I spent a lot of time studying. There wasn't really much time for a social life." He suddenly seemed to find the tablecloth very interesting. "Why don't we get the check? We should be heading back if we're going to make it before dark."

He had been quiet all the way home, deep in thought about something.

That night on her side of the curtain, she tried to imagined what 17 year old Ben must have been like. She pictured a serious, bookish young man sitting home while everyone else went to parties and smash ball games and dances. Poor Ben!

She flipped on her back punching the pillow in an attempt to get comfortable. Once more her thoughts returned to what must have brought him to this desolate planet all alone. What was his story? Every time she tried to ask something about his past, he quickly changed the subject or deflected the question. She wished he would confide in her.

…

The next day Obi-Wan taught her how to catch things with the force. They started off small, with pebbles. He would throw them, and she would stop them from falling in mid-air. She turned out to be quite good at this. They switched to larger rocks, then a bucket, then a chair, then the trunk where he kept the lightsabers hidden. She stopped every item with ease. Her confidence growing each time.

"Very good Luna!" She blushed and smiled at the compliment. "However, it feels much different with a living being. We should practice that too."

"How are we going to do that?"

"I'll jump off the roof. You catch me."

Luna looked horrified. "But what if I drop you?"

"Don't worry. I can stop myself if you do, but you won't. Remember. Do or do not. There is no try!" He thought of Yoda. What would he think if he saw what was happening?

"Well, Ok. If you're sure…"

"You can do this!" He climbed up onto the roof and looked down at her. "Ready?"

"I'm ready!"

Obi-Wan swan dived off the roof and, as expected, Luna caught him. She held him suspended in air, the Force flowing around them both for several seconds. It was obviously much harder to keep him afloat than the other items. Sweat began to bead on her forehead and she gritted her teeth in concentration. Just as she started to lower him to the ground, a gust of wind came up. There was a broom leaning against the front steps and it clattered to the ground. It wasn't loud, but it was enough to break her focus and the next thing he knew he was flat on his face in a sand dune.

He had been so caught up in watching her that he hadn't realized she was about to drop him. He was still for a few moments, thankfully the dune was soft. Just then Luna came running over.

"Oh, Ben, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt? Say something!"

"Mmmmm….Luna, is that you?" He moaned into the sand.

"Ben!" She grabbed his shoulder and turned him over, obviously expecting the worst. She leaned over him, searching his face with a worried look in her beautiful green eyes. "Are you alright?" His heart soared at the thought that she cared about him.

He was going to laugh and make a joke, but suddenly, as their eyes locked, the situation didn't seem funny any longer. "Luna" He whispered. Everything faded into the distance as he sat up and pulled her to him, their lips meeting in a kiss that was soft and sweet and held the promise of so much more.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Obi-Wan swore that this was the absolute last kiss. Of course, he had thought that after the first one. And the second. And the third. And then he'd lost count entirely and just surrendered to the sensation reveling in the feel of her lips against his. He just couldn't seem to stop himself! At first the kiss had been soft and sweet, but it quickly deepened into something much more passionate. Electricity crackled between them and the training bond they had formed sang with pleasure. They finally broke apart to catch their breath.

"Oh, Ben." Luna sighed. Her eyes were slightly unfocused. Somehow she had ended up in his lap, her arms around his neck. Her head dropped to his shoulder. "I've never felt anything like that. How did you…?" She seemed at a loss for words. He had rendered her speechless! Him! His heart swelled enormously along with another part of his anatomy.

"I'm not sure. It must be the connection we share." The kisses had been unlike anything he had ever experienced either. He could feel her pleasure reflecting back at him while feeling his own at the same time. It was intense to say the least.

Later that night, he laid awake processing what had happened. Technically kissing wasn't an attachment, but he knew in his heart this was far more than just a kiss. He knew he should feel guilty, but he didn't. How odd!

He was suddenly reminded of something Qui-Gon had said. "Search your feelings. You will know in your heart what is right." This definitely felt right. Nothing had ever felt so right in his entire life. However, he didn't want to rush into something and risk hurting sweet, beautiful Luna. Then the second part of his Master's instructions came back to him, "Remember, the Jedi order with all its rules and regulations is gone for a reason. You must find a way to avoid the mistakes that were made by those who came before." Could it be that the rule about attachments was one of those mistakes? He had better decide where he stood on the issue before things went any further.

The next morning he was making breakfast when he felt Luna's arms slide around his waist. She looked at the scrambled eggs he was cooking then stretched onto her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Good Morning" she purred into his ear her voice rough with sleep. It sent shivers down his spine. He put his arm around her and affectionately pulled her closer. Then he noticed she was wearing his tunic.

"Good Morning." He raked his eyes over her body. What she was doing to that tunic was sinful. How had this happened? It seemed like only yesterday he was living the life of a hermit without a friend on the planet and now there was a beautiful woman in his hut coming on to him while wearing his tunic and not much else.

"I wondered where that had disappeared to." He smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Oh,I'm sorry! Do you want it back?" She reached for the top button, her eyes meeting his with feigned innocence. This was getting out of hand fast! He had to do something!

"No, you keep it. It looks far better on you anyway." He turned back to the stove suddenly remembering the eggs. "Luna, I need to talk to you about something."

"Yes?"

"It's about yesterday. I…There are some things about myself that I haven't told you." He shook his head. "It's rather hard to explain." He could tell he was making a mess of this whole conversation.

What things?" Her eyebrows drew together.

He had to say something to reassure her. "What I mean to say is, my life before we met was quite a lot different than it is now. I have a few things I need to work out before we do anything else like yesterday again."

"Do you wish we hadn't…" She stopped, looking at the floor.

"No, of course not! Luna, I will never forget that kiss if I live to be 100. I just want to make sure I have things clear in my head before we go any further. I couldn't bear it if I hurt you."

She pondered this for a few moments. "Well, we certainly have plenty of time. If you need to figure things out then you should do that." Then her eyes met his. "But whatever it is Ben, I hope you know I want to help you. I can feel how sad you are sometimes. I don't know what happened, but whatever it is you deserve to be happy. Even if we don't…well, you know…again."

…

Luna paced back and forth in front of the hut. After their conversation she had tried unsuccessfully to meditate while Ben had gone for a hike.

Over and over his words repeated. "There are some things about myself that I haven't told you." What things? While she'd already guessed he was hiding something, she couldn't help but wonder exactly what he was talking about.

There were thousands of possibilities. Maybe he was on the run because of his Force sensitivity. That seemed to make the most sense, although he was so powerful he could probably have hidden his abilities easily enough. Maybe he was a criminal. No, that couldn't be it. She couldn't imagine him stealing or doing anything else illegal.

She thought back on yesterday and the incredible kisses they had shared. Pleasure coursed through her body at the memory. Last night when they parted she was sure he wanted her. She could feel it! But this morning he had reconsidered. Why? Was he somehow unavailable? Could there be someone else? This brought her up short. Could he be married? She didn't think so, but she had been wrong before.

Back on Corellia Luna had gone out with several men, but only a few had ever developed into anything serious. A dark haired sophisticated lawyer named Mason had been the last. He was devilishly handsome, charming, and much older. He had come along at a time when she was particularly vulnerable. Both her parents had died about a year before they met and she was still reeling from the loss. She was lonely and sad and he had known just what to do to help her forget. Looking back over that relationship she should have seen the signs. He never invited her to his home, he frequently cancelled plans at the last minute, and he always seemed to have one eye on his com link.

They had an intensely passionate affair for a while spending weekends in the country and meeting for dinner in secluded little cafes. She was on top of the world! Then one day, he canceled their plans because of an emergency at the office. Left on her own, she decided to visit the Zoo to start planning a field trip she wanted to take with her class. It was a beautiful day. The zoo was full of families and children and as she watched them she found herself imagining what it would be like to have a family. She loved children. What kind of a father would Mason be?

Just then she noticed a group by the Rancor enclosure. The man had a little boy on his shoulders. Next to him was a blond woman holding a little girl by the hand. The Rancor was asleep. Apparently this wasn't exciting enough for the boy.

"This is boring! I thought he'd be eating somebody."

The man replied, "They can't feed him all the time."

"Why not?" said the boy.

"Well," the man said thoughtfully, "He'd get fat. Who ever heard of a fat Rancor?" The boy giggled.

Something about the man's voice was very familiar. Could it be? No. He was working. But then they had turned around and it was Mason. Their eyes met across the viewing area and an understanding passed between them. He looked away. Just then the blond woman, who hadn't noticed their exchange spoke up.

"Come on honey, Uma's getting tired. We should be heading back."

"Right."

Off they went towards the parking lot leaving Luna too stunned to move. She sat on a bench beside the Rancor for over an hour until finally she found her way home and quietly went to pieces in her apartment. The next day he had called, apologizing profusely and told her he was leaving his wife. Luna hung up on him and they never spoke again.

That had happened two years ago. Ever since then, she had been paranoid about the men she dated. She tried not to be suspicious, but it was always in the back of her mind. Suddenly she had to know. If there was someone else Ben was involved with it was better to find out now. Surely he could answer that much. Decision made, she started off across the sand in the direction Ben had taken

….

Everything seemed to be fine at the Lars farm. Obi-Wan hadn't been going to check on them as frequently now that Luna had arrived, but everything was peaceful and quiet at the moment. Luke and Beru were outside playing. She sat crosslegged in the sand with the the boy in her lap, his white blond hair shining in the sun. He babbled earnestly and clapped his chubby hands together as if telling her something very important. A few moments later she pulled a toy starship from behind her back. He shrieked with delight, a huge smile lighting up his adorable face as he reached for it with both arms outstretched. He was Anakin's son alright.

Luke was remarkable. His Force signature shone brightly around him like a halo of purity and innocence. Love radiated from him like the rays of the sun. He was going to be incredibly powerful one day. And yet, if Anakin had followed the Jedi teachings and never gotten involved with Padme, this beautiful child would never have been born.

All of a sudden a thought of occurred to him. Suppose Luke and Leia had never bee born. What if Anakin hadn't married Padme and had followed the Jedi code to the letter? Would he still have been vulnerable to Sidious's evil seduction? Obi-Wan had never considered this. Looking back, it was hard to tell.

Anakin was a complex person. He was smart and kind, funny and charming, and loyal to a fault. He was also proud and arrogant, headstrong and stubborn, and prone to fits of anger. He had an explosive temper. Even if he had never met Padme, these were serious character flaws that could just as easily have been exploited. Maybe it wasn't the attachments, he thought.

The next logical question then was if attachments didn't cause someone to fall, could they have prevented it? Padme had told him a few things that surprised him on their way to Polis Massa. He had been unaware of Anakin's nightmares and visions about her dying. It seemed that this had been the catalyst that had sent him in search of a way to save her. If they had been able to live openly as husband and wife, perhaps Anakin would have confined in him and they could have found a solution together.

Also, if Anakin and Padme hadn't been forced to hide their relationship, they would have spent much more time together which would have left much less time available for Palpatine to influence them. It was becoming very clear to him that Jedi's views on personal attachments were something they had gotten wrong.

Obi-Wan wrapped his binoculars in a piece of cloth and put them in his bag. Just as he stood to leave, he felt Luna approaching. She was upset.

"Ben? What's going on? Who are they and why are you spying on them?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After a tense walk back to the hut, Luna came in and sat down at the table. Her eyebrows were drawn together deep in thought. Obi-Wan set about making some tea. When it was ready, he brought it to the table and sat across from her.

"So let me get this straight. That boy is your best friend's son."

"Right."

"And those people he's living with are his with are his Aunt and Uncle?"

"Yes."

"Well, if that's all it is then why don't you just go over and say hello? Why are you sneaking around in the desert watching them through binoculars?" She looked at him expectantly.

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose. This was not at all how he'd envisioned this conversation. To his regret, he had never stopped to think how suspicious his behavior might appear to someone else and now she apparently thought he was some kind of peeping Tom. Oh, dear. "It's a long story."

"I've got nothing but time."

He was silent, considering how much he should tell her. There was no doubt she was trustworthy, but sharing too much information could put her in danger. What if she were caught and questioned about him? The consequences for them both would be dire. Then again, that might never happen. There was a real possibility that all of them, Luke included, would spend the rest of their lives on Tatooine completely unnoticed by the Empire. What if he told her everything? He felt a wave of relief wash over him at the thought. How good it would be to finally tell someone the real reason he was here!

Luna spoke. "Look, Ben, there's something odd about that boy. He felt, I don't know…special somehow. You don't have to tell me what it is if you don't want to. It's really none of my business what you're doing out here." She looked sad. "You have been so kind to me, I don't know what I would have done without you. I'm starting to really care for you, but I can't stay and get involved with someone who isn't honest with me."

"Maybe I can get a job in Anchorhead. There has to be something I could do there. I'll be out of your way as soon as I can find another place to live." She started to get up from the table. His eyes widened. She was leaving? He thought back on how lonely he'd been when he first came to this place and how much she had changed his life for the better. No! She couldn't leave!

He caught her hand as she walked past him and pulled her closer. "Please don't go." He said thickly, looking up at her. "I'll tell you everything."

…

"You're right." Obi-Wan said. "Luke is special. He's the reason I'm here on Tatooine. His father was an extremely powerful Jedi named Anakin Skywalker. Anakin was like a brother to me. He was my best friend. In order to protect his son, he was sent to live in obscurity here with his Aunt and Uncle. My mission is to watch over him until he is grown and make sure nothing happens to him. He may be the galaxy's only hope for destroying the Empire."

"You knew Anakin Skywalker? The hero with no fear?" She looked surprised.

"He was my padawan. I trained him in much the same way I've been training you. You see, I was a Jedi also." He went on from there, explaining how they had met. How his own Master had begged him to train Anakin with his last breath and how he had done his level best to keep the promise he'd made to Qui-Gon all those years ago.

On and on he went, stopping only to answer her questions. Through it all, Luna sat across from him listening intently. At last they neared the end of the story. "I managed to escape the Clones after Order 66 but when I got back to the Temple…" Images of that night came back to him and he had to stop in order to collect himself. She took his hand and squeezed it. He shook his head, "When I got back to the Temple, everyone except Yoda was dead. Even the younglings. Anakin slaughtered them all." Tears welled up in his eyes.

"It's alright, Ben. You don't have to tell me the rest if you don't want to."

"No, I need to tell someone." He went on, described the fierce battle on Mustifar and how even though Anakin was horribly injured, he just couldn't bring himself to kill his former best friend. Finally he concluded the story. "After Padme died, we decided it would be best to separate the twins for their own safety. Leia was adopted by Senator Organa and his wife and I brought Luke here to Tatooine." There is was. Everything. He waited anxiously for her reaction.

Luna was quiet for a moment. When she looked up, her eyes were glassy. She stood and walked around the table before sitting on his lap and wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, Ben. I'm so sorry."

He clung to her, breathing in the clean scent of her hair, thanking the Force for sending her into his life.

…

Luna pulled the last tray of cookies out of the oven and set them to cool on the table. Ben's story had not been at all what she was expecting. How he had managed to survive such traumatic experiences without loosing his mind or his faith in the Force amazed her. After they had pulled themselves together, she decided that she wanted to do something for him that would make him happy. Looking around the house though, she realized that her options were limited. The only thing there seemed to be plenty of was sand. Then she thought of something.

"Ok, Ben. I have one more question for you."

He looked up from his data pad where he had been catching up on the news. "Yes?"

"What's your favorite dessert?"

He looked a little confused. "Why does that matter?"

"Because I'm getting ready to make you something and I want you to enjoy it."

"You don't have to do that." He shook his head and looked back down at the data pad.

"I know, but I want to! You deserve it. You've spent your entire life saving the galaxy. The least I can do is express my gratitude with baked goods." He started to smile a little. She teased him harder. "Come on, you can't tell me that as a Jedi you're not allowed to have a sweet tooth. What's it going to be? Cribblycrunch? Eopie cream pie? Puffcake? You might as well tell me because I'm not going to stop until you do." He was grinning from ear to ear. She continued. "Sticky sweetmallow squares? Rainbowberry cobbler? Jogan fruit surprise?…"

"Sand cookies." He said shyly. "I really love sweet sand cookies."

"Sand cookies it is then." She smiled at him sweetly and he blushed. Now he was sitting crosslegged on the bed watching her expectantly with a glass of blue milk in his hand.

"Are they done yet?" He asked.

"Almost." She put some of the warm cookies on a plate and joined him. He grabbed one and popped it into his mouth.

"Mmmmm….Oh, Luna. These are amazing."

She took a cookie and bit off the corner. Not too bad! "Can I have some of your milk?" He handed her the glass. The laughed and talked and ate, dunking cookies and enjoying themselves.

"What were you going to ask me this morning?" Ben said thoughtfully.

Luna remembered her fears about him being involved with someone else. She had really missed the mark there! "I wanted to know if you were in a relationship with someone."

"A relationship?" He looked perplexed.

"This is going to sound stupid, but I thought you might be married." Ben had just taken a sip of milk and began to choke which quickly turned into laughter.

"Why on earth would you think that?" he asked wiping tears from his eyes.

"I don't know! You were being very cagey about you past. Then you said there was all this stuff about you that I didn't know and that you needed to figure things out, and then i saw you watching that lady and her baby with a pair of binoculars. I just assumed that, well…maybe you were married."

Ben laughed. "I suppose that's better than some conclusions. I was afraid you thought I was some kind of pervert."

"At least we finally figured it out. Do you want any more cookies Ben?" Luna stood up and carried the dishes back to the table.

"No thank you. They were delicious though. There is one more thing I forgot to tell you."

"Oh?"

"My real name isn't Ben. It's Obi-Wan. I started calling myself Ben to hide my identity when I got here."

She stopped. "You're Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

"Yes. At least, I used to be."

"This is incredible! I can't believe it!" She exclaimed. "Do you realize you're partially responsible for me being here?"

"What do you mean?"

She ran to her bed and dug through the box where she kept her personal belongings. Grabbing what she was looking for she returned to Obi-Wan's bed. "The book! The book that got me in trouble with the inspectors. _A Child's Guide to Heroes of the Republic_ is about you!" She held out the book to him. There he was, in cartoon form on the front cover, bravely brandishing his lightsaber.

"That's supposed to be me? Do I really look like that?" He peered at the picture suspiciously.

"Believe me, you were the hero of everyone in my class. They used to fight over who got to be you at recess. Their favorite chapter was the one about you and Anakin fighting the zombies during the second battle of Geonosis."

"They put that story in a book written for younglings?" He looked horrified.

"Don't worry. They loved it. Here look at the pictures." She snuggled next to him, his arm around her shoulders and they flipped through the pages together.

Soon the excitement of the day began to take it's toll. Luna found her head resting on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "I should go to bed." she said sleepily. The thought of getting up held no appeal.

"Stay here. You already are in bed." Obi-Wan pulled her closer and wrapped a blanket around them. He reached over and shut off the light. The last thing she remembered was a lingering kiss goodnight.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Obi-Wan awoke the next morning with Luna draped over his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. How did she manage to smell so good with only the sonic shower he had installed in the refresher? They were both still in the clothes they had worn yesterday, but he could feel the generous curve of her breasts pressing softly against him. Could there be a more pleasant way to wake up? Well, he thought, maybe if they were both naked. The mental image was so arousing his trousers suddenly became far too tight. He shifted a little trying to find a more comfortable position and she started to wake up.

"Mmmmm…Obi-Wan." She stretched lazily, nuzzling his neck and placing small kisses under his ear. Her fingers began tracing lines on his tunic until they reached the first button. One by one they came loose. He held his breath as her fingers began to explored the patch of auburn hair on his chest before straying lower. He could stand it no longer. He flipped them over, pushing Luna onto her back and holding her hands above her head. "Naughty girl! You didn't even say good morning!"

He kissed her hard pressing his body into hers. She gave him a knowing look and rolled her hips against him. "It feels like someone is already having a very good morning!." she teased suggestively. They laughed and kissed again, hands roaming over each others bodies as much as their clothes would allow.

Suddenly there was a ripple in the Force. Obi-Wan stopped nibbling on Luna's collar bone and raised his head to listen.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked.

"Do you feel that? Something is outside."

"I don't feel anythi…" Just then a loud snort could be heard close by. Banthas! The presence of banthas could only mean one thing.

"Sand people!" they both exclaimed at once.

Obi-Wan jumped out of bed and ran for the door grabbing his staff as he went with Luna right behind him. Four Tuskans were gathered around the small moisture vaporator that sat beside the hut and two more were rifling through his speeder.

"YAAAAAHHHHHH!" he yelled, waving the staff at the intruders as he charged across the yard.

They squealed loudly and all but one turned and ran toward the banthas that were standing a little way off. The one who remained, grunted in outrage and held up his gaderffii stick in a threatening manner . When he saw that Obi-Wan was still coming at him, he turned and hit the vaporator with all his might before fleeing after the others.

Obi-Wan came to a halt and watched as the Sand people climbed onto their mounts and rode away. Luna walked up beside him.

"I don't think they took anything from the speeder. Everything looks alright."

"Unfortunately the same can't be said for the vaporator." They looked at the damage. The main refrigeration pipe was broken in half.

"Oh, no."

"We have enough water to last for about two days, but we're going to have to get a replacement pipe quickly. I doubt they will have what we need in Anchorhead. We'll have to go to Mos Eisley."

…

The rest of the day passed quickly as they prepared for the trip the next day. Obi-Wan debated wether or not to take the lightsabers along. He finally decided it was to risky to leave them behind if the Sand people returned and packed them into his overnight bag along with his clothes.

While he worked, his thoughts returned to that morning. What would have happened if they hadn't been so rudely interrupted? In a way, he was thankful they had stopped. He knew it was only a matter of time before they gave in to their attraction, but he didn't want their first encounter to take place in this dusty little hut after after a long day of practicing Force pushes and levitation. Luna deserved better!

Their time together so far had consisted mainly of training and meditation. How did normal people go about building relationships? He thought back to his occasional nights off on Coreusant. He usually didn't go out, but when he did, he'd almost always end up at a bar somewhere enjoying a keela while observing the other beings around him. He remembered the happy couples he'd seen out on dates. They were usually on their way to dinner or a holomovie or some other type of entertainment. That's it! He would take her out on a date. This trip to Mos Eisley couldn't have come at a better time. He pulled out his data pad and began investigating the possibilities.

….

The next day found found Obi-Wan and Luna flying quickly through the desert on their way to Mos Eisley. It didn't take long for them reach the outskirts of the city. They made their way to the Mos Eisley Towers and checked in at the front desk. After they had their keys, they put their luggage in the room and looked around.

"Wow!" Luna kicked off her sandals and wiggled her toes in the plush carpet that covered the floor. She sat down on the bed and bounced up and down a few times. "This place is luxurious!"

"It is rather nice isn't it? It will be a treat to have air conditioning for a few nights." Obi-Wan smiled looking very pleased.

Luna took her toothbrush out of her bag and headed into the refresher. She shrieked with delight when she saw the oversized tub and shower which both used real water. This trip was getting better by the minute!

They went looking for a replacement pipe to fix the vaporator after grabbing a quick lunch. It didn't take long to find what they needed, and soon they were headed back to the hotel. Obi-Wan said he had to take care of something, so Luna decided to do a little window shopping in the downtown area.

As she wandered along the streets, she wondered what he was up to. He seemed almost giddy! Just then she passed a lingerie shop. In the window was a beautiful pale green silk nightgown with cream colored lace trim. She decided to go inside and try it on. The sales clerk, a short Askajian female, found her one in the correct size and she took it into the fitting room.

"Do you need any help sweetie?" The clerk asked helpfully, poking her head around the curtain.

"I don't think so."

"Oooo…that looks amazing on you. Is this for a special occasion?"

Luna smiled. Yes, she supposed this was a special occasion. "First night with a new boyfriend."

"Well, unless he's blind or crazy he'll love it! He won't be able to resist you in that! Here, I have a few other things you might like also. We're having a big sale this week…" Before she knew it, Luna found herself walking back to the hotel with a bag full of beautiful new lingerie and the green silk nightie. She couldn't wait for tonight to see Obi-Wan's reaction!

When she got back to the hotel, he was waiting for her. As soon as she opened the door he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. "What was that for?" She giggled as he let her go.

"I missed you."

"I was only gone for a few hours!"

"What did you buy?" He looked at the bag in her hand with interest, pulling at the tissue paper that covered her purchases.

"You're just going to have to wait and see!" Luna laughed holding the bag out of his reach. She turned to put her bag in the closet with her other things. "What do you want to do about dinner?"

"I made us reservations at the restaurant upstairs. Then I thought we could go to the Cantina down the street. Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes are playing tonight and I have tickets. I thought we could get a drink and go listen." He looked at her hopefully.

Dinner? Drinks? Live music? "Obi-Wan Kenobi, are you asking me a date?"

"Maybe." He looked a little sheepish.

"I didn't think Jedi Masters went out on dates." She looked at him with one eyebrow raised, desperately trying to hide a smile.

"Well, that's generally true. But, since I'm practically the only one left, I decided it was time to change the official Jedi stance on dating."

Luna's heart swelled with affection for this wonderful man. She walked over, stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek. "I'd love to go out with you tonight. What time shall I be ready?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Obi-Wan stood in front of the mirror studying his refection. He'd found a barber down the street and had his hair cut by someone other than himself for the first time since he'd arrived on Tatooine. He ran his hand over the back of his neck. It looked decidedly less shaggy which he supposed was a good thing. He'd brought along his best off white tunic and dark brown trousers and had pressed them carefully while Luna was out shopping. He had never really given his appearance much thought before but he hoped he looked presentable.

Now, all he had to do was wait. He went over to the bed and sat down turning on the holovision to distract himself. Just then, the refresher door opened and out stepped Luna. She wore a simple white sleeveless dress that came to her knees. The neckline was low enough to provide a tantalizing view of cleavage without being indecent and a colorful belt accented her slim waist. Her hair was twisted into a simple knot on the back of her head, showing off her long, elegant neck. She was stunning.

"Ready?" she asked smiling at him brightly.

….

After a delicious dinner at the hotel, they walked to the cantina hand in hand talking and laughing as they went. Once inside, they found that there was still some time before the band started. They found a booth in the back corner and ordered some drinks.

Luna took a sip of her Alderaan Twist and looked over at Obi-Wan. He seemed to be having a lot of fun. She wondered how much time he had spent planning this evening. It was obvious he had put a lot of thought into every detail. Before long, the band came out and started their first set. They were great, and soon people were up dancing. She even managed to pull him out on the floor once. This was without question the best date she had ever been on.

It was late as they walked back from the cantina. All evening the conversation had flowed without interuption, but as they approached their room, Obi-Wan fell silent and nervousness began radiating off him in waves. She tried to put him at ease.

"Well, thank you for a wonderful evening. It almost makes me wish the Sand People would break the vaporator more often."

"It was fun, wasn't it? Now I know what all the fuss was about dating."

"Wait, you seriously have never been on a date before?" Luna looked at him incredulously.

"No. This is my very first one."

"Never?!"

"No, never." he shook his head.

Luna was amazed. "I guess that makes sense. I knew Jedi had certain regulations and all, but I never really thought about it before. So you never broke the rules? Not once even when you were younger?"

"No." He laughed "Anakin was the one breaking rules all the time not me!"

She thought of what his life must have been like before the end of the war. It was admirable that he took his commitments to the Order so seriously, and she respected him for it. But it must have been a very lonely way to live. It made her long to help him make up for all he had missed out on over the years.

They were inside the room now. She walked up to him and slid her arms around his neck gazing up into his gorgeous blue eyes. "Well, I'm certainly glad that I got to be the first. I had a marvelous time. You know, it is customary to end a date with a kiss."

"Well, since it's customary…" His lips met hers, softly at first but quickly deepening. She clung to him, loving the strength and the safety she felt in his arms. He pulled the pins loose from her hair and it fell down her back. He buried his hands in the thick tresses, running the silky strands through his fingers. "I've been wanting to do that for weeks."

She smiled and pulled away from him, playfully slapping his hands as he tried to pull her back. "It's getting late. I'm going to slip into something a little more comfortable. Don't go away!" She grabbed her bag from the closet and disappeared into the refresher.

….

Obi-Wan ran through a few meditation techniques trying to calm himself. All those nights he had laid awake in his hut wondering what the future held. Never in his wildest imaginings could he have predicted this! She had been in the refresher for a long time. What was she doing in there? He was giddy with excitement and anticipation, and yet scared to death at the same time.

Just then the door opened. Luna walked out in a short green nightgown. The color matched her eyes. Her hair hung down around her shoulders in waves. She was breathtaking. She walked to the bed providing him with a spectacular view of her backside as she went and threw back the covers.

"Are you coming?"

He suddenly realized he was still fully clothed. Kicking off his shoes, he walked to the bed and sat next to her. She reached up and stroked his cheek giving him a smoldering look. "Kiss me."

One by one his clothes began disappearing and soon he was wearing nothing but his shorts. They were laying side by side, his hands wandering over her body. He felt her nipples hardened at his touch. She shuddered with pleasure as he brushed each one with his thumbs. He had to see what they looked like. Slowly he pulled the thin silk garment over her head and gazed at her beautiful body. Her breasts were full with large brown nipples that puckered into hard peaks. He bent his head and suckled each one in turn. She arched her back and moaned at the stimulation holding his head against her. The bond between them was crackling with electricity.

On instinct his hand slid down her side coming to rest on her hip. He reached under the edge of her panties and slowly moved his fingers through her soft curls until he reached the wetness of her center. He stroked her a few times listening as she gasped with pleasure and then slowly pressed one finger inside of her. That was all it took. She came hard, her head thrown back on the pillow, breathlessly calling his name. He could feel what she was experiencing and it was almost his undoing.

Watching her climax was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. He was so hard he ached. She slowly came back to reality and opened her eyes, smiling at him and pulled him down for another kiss.

"Lay back" she whispered.

He laid down and watched as she sat next to him. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms and then leaned over and began kissing her way down his chest. Her hair tickled his skin as she went raising goose pimples all over his body. He shivered at the sensation. She playfully placed a kiss directly on his navel, and then traced her finger down the trail of hair below it. She pushed down his shorts and took him in her hand, squeezing and stroking.

"Luna, oh Luna….please!" He was desperate.

"Come for me." she whispered in his ear, softly biting his earlobe.

He came in her hand, loosing control in a way he never had with another person before. White light exploded behind his eyes.

When he had caught his breath again, Luna was wiping her hands with a tissue. "I'm sorry…I"

"Shh..don't be. That was amazing. Watching you like that, seeing you loose control was so sexy."

His heart was full. How had he lived his whole life without her? "Come here." He pulled her to him, tenderly kissing her before using the Force to flick off the lights.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next day they decided to look around the city. Luna, who was a history buff, wanted to see the wreckage of the Dowager Queen. As they walked around the old ship, they found a crowd of younglings on a field trip. They were overly excited and chattered loudly, jumping on their toes to see over the barriers that had been set up around the base. Their teacher and a few chaperones began rounding them up into a group and soon a tour guide joined them and began giving a lesson about the crash and the first settlers of Mos Eisley.

Luna watched wistfully. What had become of her class and her coworkers? Did her friends ever think of her? It was a lonely feeling knowing that everyone she had ever known thought she was dead.

"You miss it, don't you?"

"Yes. I love younglings. Being able to show them new things and introduce them to the galaxy never gets old."

"Do you wish you could go back?"

"I don't know." She paused for a moment thinking carefully. "No, not the way things are now. I don't think I would have been able to continue teaching anyway even if this hadn't happened to me. Following all the new requirements made me feel like I was lying to my class. I probably would have finished the year and then handed in my resignation." She gazed thoughtfully at the students who were now following the tour guide around the side of the ship.

"Do you suppose things will ever go back to the way they were before the Empire?" She asked.

"No. Even if the Empire were destroyed today too many things have changed for us to just go back. But, I believe that if we trust in the Force all things will eventually turn out as they should. Although sometimes that happens in ways we aren't expecting."

She nodded. Yes, that was true.

Later that morning as they walked through the Old Quarter, they noticed a junk shop and went in to look around. They were hoping to find something to discourage any more visits from the Sand People. Luna poked through the piles of used and broken machinery with interest. A holoprojector caught her eye. Maybe, just maybe…she had an idea. She looked around for Obi-Wan and found him watching a breaking news report on a refurbished holovision that was for sale.

"Ben, take a look at this, I…" He was so engrossed he didn't respond.

"The following is a special report from Toola in the Kaelta system. A sought after member of the disbanded Jedi Order was discovered today after an intensive search of the planet. He was the former Curator of Records at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant who disappeared immediately before the rise of the glorious Empire. In addition to being an enemy of the state, the curator was accused of stealing sensitive information from the Temple and was killed in the attempt to apprehend him. Members of the famed 501st legion carried out the mission led by their commander Darth Vader. We now go to our reporter live on the scene…" The picture changed to show the exterior of a small cave. A large bonfire burned near the entrance and storm troopers were shown carrying out armloads of books which they threw onto the fire. Suddenly a menacing creature clad all in black stalked through the background, a blood red lightsaber in his hand. He turned and looked directly into the camera. Even though it was impossible, Luna felt as if he were looking straight at them and fear shot through her heart.

She quietly glanced at Obi-Wan. All the color had drained from his face and he looked ill. She could feel his anguish and guilt though the Force and it was heartbreaking. Without a moments hesitation, she silently reached out and took his hand. He turned to her with a dazed look in his eyes.

"Come on, Ben. Let's go."

She took him back to the hotel and ran him a bath. He sat on the bed waiting for the tub to fill. When Luna came out of the refresher he still looked miserable.

"Lie down for me." He gave her a questioning look, but lay back and rolled onto his stomach. She knelt on the bed beside him and set to work massaging the knotted muscles in his neck and shoulders.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing that for?" he asked, his voice muffled by the blankets.

"My mother used to do this for me when I was upset. It always helped me calm down."

"Mmm…it's a wonderful idea." He sighed, resting his head on his arms. "It's just so hard to believe this is happening. The Curator! Anakin and I visited him many times over the years and he was always so helpful. I knew he had escaped. Yoda and I noticed before we left the Temple that he wasn't among the dead and that several things were missing from the archives. Somehow he managed to save those records and now all that information is lost. Hundreds of years of information on the Jedi Order gone!"

She kneaded his back a little harder. He was very tense. "You do know this isn't your fault, right?"

"I know. Qui-Gon said it was the will of the Force and nothing could have stopped it."

"But?"

"But knowing something with your head and knowing something with your heart are two different things."

She sat for a moment making lazy circles on his back with the palms of her hands. If only she could say something that would ease his burden! "Well, I know in my heart that you did the best you possibly could for your friend. That's the kind of person you are. Anakin was a full grown man and a Jedi knight. He wasn't your student any longer. The choices he made and the things he has done are his responsibility. I know it looks bleak right now, and I know you feel terrible but you said yourself that if we trust in the Force things will eventually turn out the way they should. Maybe this is one of those times when that will happened in a way we aren't expecting." She kissed him on the cheek. "Come on, I think your bath is ready. Go soak for a while. I'm going to take a nap."

….

The hot water, along with Luna's massage, was finally helping to loosen the tense muscles in his back. As he lay there he tried to let go of the feelings of guilt and sadness and focused instead on the present. As far as hiding places went, Tatooine was ideal. He had made sure to keep a low profile and was certain that Luke was safe for now. However, he was almost a year old, and with the amount of Force potential the boy had, it was only a matter of time before it started to manifest itself in visible ways. It would be hard to avoid suspicion if that happened. A trip to the Lars farm would have to be made. He decided to visit as soon as they returned from their trip.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and finally relaxed. After months of nothing but sonic showers, the steamy bath felt almost decadent. He held his breath and sank under the surface enjoying the feel of his hair floating in the water. Luna had added some fresh smelling bath oil that made his skin feel wonderful after the dry desert air. She thought of everything. Sweet Luna! She was improving his life in ways he never imagined. Never in his entire adult life had anyone ever run him a bath because he was feeling discouraged or baked him cookies just to make him happy. The acts themselves were insignificant, but knowing that she cared enough to make the effort warmed his battered heart.

His thoughts returned to the events of the night before. What an experience! The way she looked when she climaxed flashed through his mind and he immediately began to harden. Force she was beautiful! His life had certainly taken a gloriously unexpected turn for the better.

Before long, the water began to cool and he decided to get out. He was feeling much better. A stack of fluffy white towels sat on the counter next to the sink. He grabbed one and dried off, wrapping it around his waist as he exited the refresher in search of some clothes. Luna was still napping. As he reached into the closet for a clean shirt, he suddenly felt something gently pulling on his towel. He caught it just in time, and turned to see Luna still seemingly asleep in bed. Had she just…? No, maybe he was imagining things. He turned back towards the closet, and immediately the tugging began again. He grinned, then put on his sternest Jedi Master expression.

"You can stop pretending you're asleep. I know what you're doing and that is NOT an approved use of the Force."

Luna peeked over the edge of the covers, her eyes twinkling. "Well, you did tell me I needed to practice my telekinesis. I was only following instructions."

"What am I going to do with you?" He walked over to the bed and sat next to her. She wriggled out from under the covers and smiled at him.

"Feeling better?"

"Much. Thank you for the bath. And the massage. And…well everything." He looked down, suddenly very interested in a small piece of fuzz sticking to the blanket.

"You're welcome. I just wish I could do more."

"You've done more than you'll ever know." Their eyes met and suddenly the rest of the galaxy disappeared. He drew her to him and kissed her gently, before the playful mood between them returned.

His eyes raked over her. She was still wearing some leggings and a sleeveless tunic. "I can't help but notice you are wearing far too many clothes."

"So just what do you plan to do about that?" She asked, her head to one side.

"This." He looked at the buttons on the front of her tunic and slowly they began unbuttoning one by one.

"Isn't that an unnecessary use of the Force?" One eyebrow raised in mock indignation.

"Well, you started it!" They laughed and kissed and touched, the rest of her clothing and his towel quickly discarded. Before long things became very heated.

She was on top of him, her gorgeous breasts softly pressing into his chest as she kissed his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. He could feel the slick heat of her sex sliding against his leg as she ground herself against him wantonly. She kissed him hard and looked directly into his eyes.

"I want you inside me."

The words went straight to his cock which was caught between them, hard against his stomach. A primitive urge that had been building inside of him took over. He flipped her over and pressed her back against the mattress, her hair splayed over the pillow, her eyes glistening with desire. She was so beautiful. Balancing on his arms, he slowly entered her. She was hot, and wet, and so very tight. He stopped, eyes closed, gasping for breath trying to still his racing heart.

He felt her fingers slowly stroking the sides of his face.

"Look at me" She whispered, softly kissing him. He opened his eyes, overcome with the intensity of what he was feeling. She smiled reassuringly and rolled her hips towards him. Pleasure rippled through his body like water. He automatically responded and they moved together as one building quickly to a fierce climax.

"Luna!" He cried desperately, releasing deep within her.

She arched against him pulling him deeper, as she fluttered around him. "Oh, Ben!"

They collapsed onto the pillows, breathless. Soon she curled onto her side resting her head on his shoulder. He pulled her close and used the force to pull a blanket over their rapidly cooling bodies.

He had to know. "Is it always like that?"

"Not always. Only if you really care about the person you are with. This was…amazing."

He glowed with pleasure at her words. "You care about me?"

She smiled against his chest, snuggling closer. "Of course I care about you!"

He couldn't stop grinning. "Amazing?"

"Yes, amazing." She giggled. "Now go to sleep hot shot!"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Luna opened her eyes with a satisfied smile. The events of the previous night had left her feeling deliciously sore. After their first encounter and a brief rest, they had made love two more times before falling asleep in earnest. She shivered with pleasure at the memory. It had been like nothing else she had ever experienced.

Knowing she had been his first was a heady aphrodisiac. Because of his inexperience, she had anticipated the first encounter would be over relatively quickly. It didn't last long, but what she hadn't been prepared for was the intensity of their connection. She felt his joy and excitement as if it were her own, and when he finally entered her his ecstasy was so intense she came along with him. How this incredible man had remained celibate for so long astounded her.

There had been a few other men over the years, but none of them held a candle to Obi-Wan. He fit perfectly into an empty place in her heart she hadn't even realized was there making her feel complete in a way that she wasn't anticipating. Currently he was curled up behind her breathing steadily, his strong arm draped around her waist.

She hated to get up, but nature was calling. When she came out of the refresher, Obi-Wan was beginning to stir. "Mmmm…Luna…Luna?" His eyes opened and a smile spread over his face. "Come back to bed." He held back the covers and she slipped in beside him. He immediately drew her into his arms and began lazily kissing the sensitive skin of her neck and nuzzling her ear. "Good morning my darling. How do you feel?"

"Mmmm…good."

"Just good?" He placed small soft kisses along the shell of her ear.

She smiled, turning towards him and kissed him gently on the lips. She shook her head. The great Jedi Master was fishing for compliments. "Ok, not just good. Incredible."

He beamed. "Incredible? Really?"

He looked so happy she giggled. "What I want to know is how you feel. Did reality live up to your imagination?"

"Yes." he answered without hesitation. "I feel marvelous. I never imagined it would be like that." A look of wonder mixed with utter contentment washed over his features.

A wave of affection flooded through Luna. To think she might have ended up who knows where in that escape pod. Thank the Force they had found each other!

Suddenly she looked at the chrono and realized it was getting late. She kissed him soundly and sat up, grabbing his hand. "Come on, we should take a shower or we'll miss check out time. Besides, I'm starving!"

….

On the way home they discussed Obi-Wan's plan to visit the Lars family. He hadn't been to see them in person since dropping Luke off that first evening. Owen Lars was understandably upset by the whole situation. Being asked to care for the child of a stepbrother he had only met once was a major imposition. Beru had been hesitant as well, but the moment Obi-Wan pulled back the blanket to reveal Luke's tiny face she had fallen hopelessly in love with the boy. They finally agreed to take him for Shmi's sake, but sensing that Owen was still very conflicted, Obi-Wan had quietly departed and stayed out of the way to give them a chance to bond with the child.

"So they are raising him using his actual name? Isn't that dangerous? Skywalker isn't that common. Aren't they afraid someone will find out who he is?"

"When I brought Luke here I thought Anakin was dead. That's what I told them. It wasn't until a few weeks later that I realized he was still alive. I couldn't exactly go back and tell them they were caring for the son of a Sith lord who had committed mass murderer. Owen already hates Jedi as it is. Besides, the Anakin I knew and trained is dead. Darth Vader is all that remains in the husk that used to be his body so it wasn't really a lie. At least from a certain point of view."

She looked at him skeptically. "I don't know. It seems wrong somehow."

"I thought about this for a long time. What good could come from Owen knowing the truth right now? He might take his fears out on the boy, or worse. Imagine if he tried to contact Vader for some reason? He has no idea what kind of a monster Anakin has become and he wouldn't believe me if I told him."

"True. But, I do think Luke has a right to know. Maybe not until he's older, but someone should tell him. Dealing in half truths never ends well."

"I intend to tell him everything when he gets older. For the moment though, my main priority is to find out how he is doing and if he has displayed any signs of Force sensitivity yet. If he has, then he needs to begin training immediately."

"But he's so little!"

"Younglings were brought to the temple at this age all the time. I was only about 6 months old myself when I was discovered and brought to Coruscant. It's not unusual at all."

"What was it like growing up like that?" Luna asked.

Obi-Wan thought back over his childhood. "It was fine I suppose. There's not much to tell, really. In the nursery there were droids to watch over us. Sometimes Jedi would come to visit. Yoda made a point of stopping in each day. Then when we got older we were assigned to different clans. We had classes together and went through our initiate trials. I suppose it was something like boarding school."

"Boarding school with lightsabers?" She giggled.

"Something like that." He smiled.

It didn't sound bad, Luna thought to herself, but it did sound impersonal and a bit cold. Her youth had been vastly different. She had been an unexpected but joyous surprise to her parents who had given up hope of ever having a child of their own. While they were careful not to spoil her, they had adored her. How sad to grow up never knowing your family she thought. If she ever had children, she wanted them to know who they were and how much they were loved.

…

The hut was a welcome sight after the hot sandy ride through the desert. They fixed the vaporator and cheered when it hummed to life again, slowly extracting moisture from the air. That evening they sat in their customary spots watching the suns set. It was nice to be home again. He was starting to think of this as home, he realized. When had that happened?

"What time do you think you'll go in the morning?" Luna asked?

"Early. They are always up at the crack of dawn."

"We'd better get to bed then." She rose to go inside and and looked back over her shoulder expectantly. "Coming?" There was no need to ask him twice!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Beru answered the door on the first knock. He could tell she was surprised to see him, but she invited him in and asked him to sit down, quickly moving a stuffed bantha off the sofa to clear him a space.

"Owen is in Anchorhead this morning picking up a new part for the speeder. He should be home this afternoon." She said after a few minutes of pleasant small talk.

Thank goodness! He was glad to have Beru alone since he was sure she would be more open to answering his questions.

"How is Luke?" Just then the boy in question peeked around the doorway from the hall. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and toddled towards Beru holding up his arms.

"Up!" She bent over and picked him up, resting him on her hip.

"He's doing well, aren't you Luke?" Beru smiled at him but he hid his face in her shoulder. "He just woke up from his nap. Would you like to hold him while I make us some tea?" Obi-Wan followed her into the kitchen.

"How about it young one? Shall we get better acquainted?" Luke regarded him seriously for a moment while he sucked on two fingers. Obi-Wan could sense him clumsily reaching out through the Force. He sent warm feelings of calm and reassurance back and immediately the boy reached for him.

"That's Ben, Luke. Can you say Ben?"

Luke took the fingers out of his mouth and pointed at him. "Ben." He seemed fascinated with his beard and immediately grabbed fistfuls with both hands. _*OUCH* Stop that!_ Obi-Wan sent through the Force. He made a funny face as he untangled the boy's sticky fingers. Luke giggled and gave him an impish grin. He looked so much like Anakin it was startling.

"You're doing a wonderful job with him. I can tell he's happy."

"We love Luke. I don't know how we ever got along without him."

He sat down at the kitchen table and she put a steaming cup of tea before him.

"I suppose I should get to the point. As you know, Anakin was very powerful in the Force. He was exceptionally gifted and Luke shares those talents. He is beginning to get to an age where his Force abilities are going to start manifesting themselves in visible ways. I don't mean to alarm you, but you should be aware."

Beru looked concerned. "I haven't noticed anything unusual. What should we do if something happens?"

"Contact me immediately. He will need training to be able to control these abilities."

Beru shook her head. "Owen will never agree to that. You know his feelings on this matter. Isn't there any way to take these abilities away from him? He's so little, he'd never know the difference."

Take them away? Never know the difference?! Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a moment and counted backwards from 10 trying to control his temper. He reminded himself that she had no idea what she was saying.

"These abilities help make Luke who he is. You can't just turn them on and off at will like a light switch. It is impossible to take them away and it would be terribly cruel to try. That would be like cutting off his legs and denying him the chance to walk, or gouging out his eyes and never allowing him to see. He is unconsciously using them even now. I can sense him probing with his mind. He might not be showing visible signs of anything yet, but it is only a matter of time."

Beru was silent for a moment, staring at her tea. When she looked up, her eyes were glittering with unshed tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize…I don't want to change him, he's perfect as he is. I only want to keep him safe."

"I know you do. That's why training him is so important."

"I will think about it. I promise I'll let you know if anything strange happens."

"Thank you." He was very glad Beru seemed to be on his side. The tea she had made was cool enough to drink and he took a sip. Suddenly he remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you a little something for your birthday my young friend. As long as it is alright with your Aunt, that is."

Luke watched him with interest as he pulled a small package of sweet sand cookies from his bag and handed them to Beru. She laughed. "He loves these. They are his favorite." She pulled one from the wrappings and gave it to Luke whose eyes lit up with glee.

"Really? We have something in common then." He laughed as Luke demolished the cookie as fast as he could given his limited amount of teeth.

"You like to bake? I can't quite picture you in the kitchen."

"No, actually. I'm a hopeless cook I'm afraid."

"Then who made them?"

He paused and a smiled as he thought of Luna. "I've met someone."

"You met someone? Like, a girlfriend?" Beru looked confused. "I thought Jedi wen't supposed to…"

"We aren't, or at least, we weren't. I think we may have made a mistake on that point. In any case, her name is Luna." He went on from there telling her the story of how they had met and how they had been training together.

She listened and when he was done gave him a knowing smile. "Well, she sounds very nice and I'd love to meet her someday. I'm glad for you, Ben. The desert is a lonely place and I was worried about you out there all by yourself. You deserve some happiness after all you've been through."

….

Luna couldn't wait for Obi-Wan to get home. All day long she had been uneasy. It was like something was scratching at the periphery of her senses staying just beyond her reach. She checked all around even taking the binoculars and scanning the surrounding area, but everything seemed fine. Since there appeared to be no obvious reason for the feeling she tried to distract herself.

First, she cleaned the hut from top to bottom laughing as she levitated the bed into the air in order to sweep underneath. Being Force sensitive certainly did come in handy sometimes! Before long everything sparkled. After that, she pulled out her data pad and read for a while but found she couldn't concentrate. She went back outside for another look around. Still nothing.

Obi-Wan certainly must have finished talking with the Lars's by now. Surly he was on his way back. It was midday and the heat was oppressive. She went back inside, but the restless feeling wouldn't let up. Another few hours went by and the heat increased. The light outdoors had taken on an orangish hue and a stiff wind had begun blowing in gusts. Where was he? Finally she saw him walking down the path and ran out to meet him.

"So how did it go? Did they say you could train Luke?"

"Beru was there by herself. I talked to her and she seemed open to the idea once I explained the situation. Luke is already probing things with his mind. It won't be long before his other powers start to assert themselves. She will contact me if anything else happens." He stopped for a moment and his eyes took on a far away look. "The boy is remarkable you know. He is almost as strong as his father, but there's a calmness and a serenity about him that Anakin never had. He's so much like Padme."

They had reached the hut by then and a low rumble of thunder caught their attention. The wind was getting much worse.

"I'm glad I made it back. I could tell there was a storm brewing when I left the farm. Let's secure the vaporator and get inside.

Once indoors, they closed the windows and shutters and braced the door against the wind. Lightning and thunder cracked loudly outside. The storm hit with a mighty howl, shaking the hut and startling them both.

It must have been the storm that was making me so uneasy, Luna thought to herself as her mood improved. Obi-Wan was home and they were safe and cozy inside the hut. She dismissed her previous apprehensions immediately when she felt his strong arms slide around her waist. He pulled her back against his chest and started kissing her neck.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" She tilted her head to the side granting him better access.

"Mmmm…well, I had planned to do a little work on the speeder this afternoon, but it seems I'm trapped inside."

"That's too bad." She turned and slid her arms around his neck looking up at him innocently. "Whatever shall we do to pass the time?"

His eyes were heavy with lust. "I can think of a few things."

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm sure you can." She playfully stepped away from him and walked to the table for a glass of water. He sat down and watched as she drank.

"You're so beautiful."

She walked around the table and sat on his lap. "I bet you say that to all the girls." she teased.

For an instant, he didn't realize she was joking and he answered without a hint of irony, "No. Just you." Her heart melted. How she loved this dear, sweet man! She kissed him then slowly and deeply building in intensity until they both broke apart gasping for breath.

Resting her forehead against his she whispered, "Don't move." Slowly she stood and began unbuttoning the front of her tunic. He watched, his blue eyes darkening. She slipped it off quickly, along with her leggings and bra leaving on only her panties as she sank to her knees before him. Their eyes met as she slid her hands up his thighs and started unbuckling his belt and slowly unzipping his trousers.

"Oh, god. Luna!" Realization of what she was about to do dawned on his face. He looked shocked, and very very turned on.

"Shh…just relax." She stoked him through his underwear feeling him twitch in her hand and then pulled him free. His breath was coming out in low moans. She slowly ran her tongue over him a few times before lowering her head and taking him into her mouth. He was trembling with excitement. She sucked and stroked him hard reveling in the feeling of knowing she was giving him such intense pleasure. "Luna! oh, Luna! he cried grasping the back of her head and finally loosing control.

When he regained his senses, he pulled her into his lap and gently kissed her. They were silent for a while just holding each other when he finally spoke.

"That was incredible. What came over you? You didn't have to…why did you do that?" He searched her face for an answer.

She gazed into his beautiful blue eyes and finally admitted what she had been feeling all along. "Because I love you."

"You love me?" He repeated quietly. He thought for a moment, nodding his head. Suddenly a brilliant smile lit his face. His eyes met hers and through the Force she felt his entire being glowing with joy.

"I love you too!"

…

They went to bed after that and made love over and over as the storm raged. Finally, exhausted, they could do no more and slept soundly for hours oblivious to the noise outside.

At some point during the night the pleasant dreams Luna was having began to change. The uneasy feeling she had experienced during the day was back, but now it had intensified into cold dread. Everything in this dream seemed vividly real. She found herself on the ridge overlooking the Lars farm. It was a beautiful sunny day, but there was a dark shadow in the distance. It drew closer to the farm growing larger and more menacing by the moment. Beru and Luke were in front of the house playing in the sand. She had to warn them, but her feet remained rooted to the ground. She couldn't move.

"Don't let him come." It was only a voice, but it was deep and loud and dreadful.

"Who?" She asked, the shadow was almost on top of the house now.

"He will take the boy. Don't let him come."

Luke and his Aunt looked up from their play just as the shadow was upon them. He screamed in terror before they were hidden in the inky blackness. No!

"Don't. Let. Him. COME!" The words echoed through her mind along with Luke's terrified screams.

She woke up with a terrified start. Obi-Wan was gently shaking her, a worried look on his face. "What is it my darling? What's wrong?"

"Someone is coming for Luke." She choked. "We have to stop it."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Karis Kranser and his identical twin brother Kristoph worked together in the computer division for the new Imperial Intelligence Agency. All their lives they had been inseparable, living in the same apartment, finishing each other sentences, and even making up their own language when they were younglings. No one could understand it but them. On one occasion, they dated the same woman who couldn't make up her mind which of them was the most handsome.

Both of them were extremely talented slicers who used their skills to help the Empire hunt down Jedi who had managed to escape Order 66. They shared an office in the new Imperial Intelligence Agency building on Coruscant.

That morning began like any other. Once their computers booted up they began monitoring the chatter on the holonet and other sources of electronic data. They had managed to find several of the wanted fugitives, including the high profile Curator of Records just a few days earlier.

Karis had compiled a list of all known Jedi at the end of the Clone War from records impounded from the Temple. Each time a target was eliminate, he would update the information so they knew exactly how many were left and who was still at large. A few months ago, Kristoph had been assigned a special case that had been given top priority. They discussed his progress as they drank their morning caff.

"Any word on this Obi-Wan Kenobi yet?" Karis asked as he stirred his caff.

"Nothing. I have tried everything I can think of. He's just vanished. Most people on the run slip up and visit an old contact or something but this guy is smart. There have been no sightings of him anywhere."

"Well, I wouldn't worry to much. Maybe the powers that be won't be too upset. We've found more Jedi than any other team in our department, right?"

"I don't know. I'm worried. The last time I was asked for a status update they were angry about the lack of progress and said they would be sending someone new to "provide motivation" whatever the hell that means." Kristoph made air quotes with his fingers.

"Why do they have such a hard-on for this guy? I know he was a pretty big deal during the war, but there are lots of important Jedi we still don't have. We haven't caught Skywalker either and they aren't bitching about that, right? Weren't they a team?"

"Yeah, it's weird. I don't understand it. Kenobi was a big deal, sure, but Anakin "Hero-with-no-fear" Skywalker was the Jedi poster boy. Who knows?" Kristoph shrugged.

Everything went on as usual. Not surprisingly there was no information on Kenobi, but there were 3 more leads on other Jedi. Around noon, Karis decided to go out and pick up some lunch since they were both starving. Kristoph was on an important call and couldn't leave, so he went alone. He waited in line at the nerf burger place around the corner from his office for much longer than usual. There were some new employees being trained and the whole process took forever. When he finally picked up his order of two Extra juicy Nerfinators with cheese and chunky fried tuber tots he was so late he headed back at a run.

When he got off the elevator on his floor he could tell something was wrong. A worried looking coworker stopped him in the hall before he had a chance to come through the door.

"Karis, I'm glad I caught you. Don't go in there."

"What? Why not?" Karis was confused.

"The Emperor's Office sent someone over to check on the special project Kristoph was working on. He's in there with him now."

"Oh, well we thought they might send somebody. I'll just go…"

"No! You don't understand. It's not just anybody, it's Lord Vader. And he's very, very upset. I…"

He continued, but Karis wasn't listening. A muffled scream and gagging noises could be heard from the main office common area. Karis pushed past his coworker, and stopped in horror. Behind the glass wall of his office, he could see the dark caped figure of Darth Vader facing his brother who hung suspended in the air. He was desperately clawing at his throat, his eyes bulging with panic.

"You have disappointed me for the last time!" Vader shouted before he suddenly closed his fist and waved his hand sideways. With a sickening pop Kristoph's neck broke. He fell in a lifeless heap, dead before he even hit the floor.

Karis was frozen in place. He couldn't even scream. As he stood there staring, Darth Vader swept past him without a second glance and disappeared down the hall. Karis finally regained control of himself and ran into his office. He sank to his knees next to Kristoph as their life together flashed before his eyes. Tears streamed down his face. How was he ever going to live without his twin? The enormity of his loss hit him and he quickly turned to retch into a nearby trash can.

The minute he finished heaving, he leaned back against the desk and closed his eyes. As he replayed the scene in his mind something inside him snapped. Rage unlike anything he had ever felt before boiled up inside him as he thought of Darth Vader. He had to find some way to get back at the evil psychopath for taking his brother's life. "I'll get you, you bastard. You may kill me in the process, but If it's the last thing I ever do I'll find a way to make you suffer."

….

"I don't know, Ben." Luna had been over the dream with Obi-Wan several times and felt as if she were getting nowhere. There was no way to know whose voice was speaking. No faces or people, just the horrible dark shadow overtaking Luke and Beru. "I feel so useless. I don't have any details! Maybe the whole thing is just a dream and it doesn't mean anything." She sighed.

Obi-Wan sat across from her at the table. He looked troubled. "I think we should meditate about it. It may be nothing, but I've learned from experience not to underestimate the importance of dreams." He stood and held out his hand. "I'll help you. Maybe together we can find an answer."

The storm still raged outside as they sat cross legged facing each other. He took her hands in his and they both closed their eyes. Luna cleared her mind and started to focus on the living things around them. Small circles of light surrounded the few insects that had found shelter in the hut. Obi-Wan's bright strong presence overwhelmed everything, bathing the room in light. As she sank deeper into a meditative state, she felt him softly touch her mind. She instantly lowered her defenses and allowed him full access to her memory. It was an indescribable feeling, much more intimate than sex. He gently probed until he found the dream and experienced it just as she had.

"I don't have any more insights than you I'm afraid." Obi-Wan shook his head in discouragement. "For now, we shall have to be extra vigilant. As soon as this storm is over, we should go to the ridge. Sometimes just visiting the site of a dream can bring on new insights."

"Maybe."

"For now, I think we should go back to bed. No one could travel in this storm, so I believe Luke is safe for tonight anyway."

"I don't know if I can sleep again after that." Luna shivered as she thought of the booming voice and the horrible dark shadow. They slipped back under the covers and Obi-Wan pulled her close and whispered in her ear.

"Let me help you."

Luna relaxed into his arms, and leaned back against his broad chest.

 _"_ _Comfortable?"_ He sent through the Force.

 _"_ _Very."_ Suddenly she felt waves of calm and peace wash over her.

 _"When I can't sleep, I find it works to dwell on something more pleasant."_ As soon as the words died away, images of their first kiss in the middle of a sand dune replayed in her mind, followed by their date in Mos Eisley and the morning they spent in bed before the Sand People destroyed the vaporator. They were her memories, but he was playing them in her head like a slideshow.

"Someday you have to teach me how to do that." She said. Her eyelids drooped unable to stay open a moment longer.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The first few weeks after Kristoph's death were the worst. Karis was barely functioning. He stumbled through his life feeling as if half of himself was missing. At first he tried to go back to his daily routine, but everything reminded him of his loss. Even though his supervisor moved his office to another floor and gave him a different assignment, he found he couldn't even walk into the building without having a panic attack so finally he quit and went looking for another job.

He left the apartment he had shared with his brother and moved as far from their neighborhood as he could afford to go. It helped a little to make these changes, but the gaping wound Darth Vader had inflicted on his soul ached and began to fester.

He had meant every word he said when he promised vengeance on Vader. He was just unsure about how to go about achieving it. The man, if he even was a man, was impossibly strong and absolutely ruthless. On top of that, he was a Force user which complicated matters further. How did you fight someone whose powers so far outstripped your own?

Karis sat in his new apartment one night mulling over the possibilities. In every scenario he imagined, he ended up dying in a matter of seconds. Also, to make someone suffer, you had to understand them well enough to know what they really cared about. By all appearances, Vader was nothing more than a cold blooded killing machine who murdered without a hint of remorse. How did you hurt someone like that?

As he sipped thoughtfully on a beer he realized something. Vader might not have any visible weaknesses, but whoever was actually in that suit was certain to. It was time to find out who was really under that mask.

Finding out was far easier than Karis was expecting. He sliced into the Empire's official records looking for anything regarding Darth Vader. Being a former employee had it's benefits. He knew exactly what security systems were in place and how to circumvent them. It didn't take long before he was sifting through hundreds of files. What he found was interesting.

All the information he could find was recent. There appeared to be no mention of Darth Vader before a year ago. Most had to do with missions he had been sent on and contained no useful information. However, there were large amounts of data from the Emperor's personal medical droids which included a wealth of interesting clues. Everything from his age to his midi-chlorian count was recorded along with detailed descriptions of the extensive burns and severed limbs that kept him trapped in a life support suit.

It was the midi-chlorian count that gave it away. With a count that high, Karis knew that whoever he was he had almost certainly crossed paths with the Jedi at some point. That gave him an idea. He quickly sliced into the confiscated records from the Jedi Temple and searched their medical records for the midi-chlorian counts of members. There was only one match. Anakin Skywalker. All the other physical evidence lined up as well. Same age. Same blood type. Same dental records.

Karis gasped in shock. The Jedi hero of the Clone War was actually Darth Vader?! No wonder they wen't looking for Skywalker! He was right there all along, relentlessly pursuing his former comrades.

Once he had a name, Karis dug up everything he could find on Anakin Skywalker. Slowly he pieced together the major events of his life, starting with his pod racing victories on Tatooine all the way to his appointment as Chancellor Palpatine's Personal Representative on the Jedi Council.

There had to be more thought Karis. While he had a lot of information on Skywalker, there was nothing there that could be exploited. He had spent the vast majority of his time with other Jedi, especially Obi-Wan Kenobi who had been his former master. Obviously he didn't care about them anymore. What was he missing?

On a whim he did a general holonet search for Anakin Skywalker +gossip. A lot of unrelated results popped up. He was about to close the search window when one article from a celebrity news site caught his eye. It was over a year old. _"Trist at the Senator's Apartment! Late Night Visitor Caught on Tape!"_ Beneath the salacious headline was a grainy picture of a cloaked figure leaving her apartment building. It was impossible to tell who. The article went on to name several guesses as to the person's identity one of which was Anakin Skywalker. Was it possible it really was him? Not that it mattered, the Senator was dead after all. But maybe…Karis looked harder at the picture. The figure was tall and well built under the cloak. The hood obscured any view of a face, but the hands were visible and one was covered with a black glove. It was probably nothing, but this was potentially the first sign of anything personal about the fallen Jedi so he started investigating further.

Karis didn't know much about Senator Amidala except that she was from Naboo and that her death had been widely covered on the news approximately a year ago. The story was especially tragic because she had been pregnant at the time and there had been much speculation about who the father might have been.

He searched for pictures of Padme Amidala and hundreds of images filled the screen. As he looked, he began to notice that in a large number Anakin Skywaker could be found somewhere in the background. Had they had a relationship beyond that of Jedi and Senator? It was a big leap, but if they had, could he have been the father of her child?

Some fast slicing pulled up her death certificate. She had died on Polis Masa. He paused. Polis Masa had become a well known refuge for Jedi after Order 66. What reason could an expectant mother about to give birth have to be on an asteroid belt in the middle of nowhere? Could that simply be a coincidence? Cause of death was listed as unknown. Unknown? How odd. He had absolutely no proof, but his instincts told him he was on to something.

He tried in vain to access the Medical Center records, but they ran on their own unique system which wasn't connected to anything else in the rest of the Galaxy. If you were trying to cover something up, this would be an ideal place to do it.

As soon as he was able to get away, he rented a starship and started the long journey to the outer rim. The answers he needed were on Polis Masa.

…

Luna and Obi-Wan stood on the ledge looking over the Lars farm. In the distance, Owen could be seen checking the vaporators for storm damage. Everything appeared to be in order. No black shadows appeared on the horizon.

"So what do we do now?" Luna asked. "I'm not feeling any inspiration yet."

"Just be patient. The answers will come when your mind is quiet and you are at peace."

As they watched from their hiding spot, Beru walked out the door of the house and headed for one of the outbuildings. A few steps behind her came Luke running as fast as his chubby little legs would carry him. He held a toy starship in one hand pretending to make it fly. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going and ran straight into Beru at full speed. She turned around to scold him, but he held up his toy as a peace offering and grinned up at her so endearingly that she shook her head and laughed. She picked him up and swung him around in a circle as he shrieked with laughter.

"He's adorable!" Luna sighed, passing the binoculars to Obi-Wan. "Someday I want one just like him."

Obi-Wan, who had been focused on searching for any clues that might help them gain more insight into the dream stopped cold. Luna wanted a child someday. As a Jedi, procreation was out of the question so he had put the possibility out of his mind entirely and never even considered it. Now that things had changed, was that something he was willing to revisit? He wasn't sure. What if he couldn't? Could he let her go someday to pursue that dream without him? The thought of her carrying someone else's child made him ill. Then he pictured her with his child growing inside her and something vital and primitive roared to life in his heart at the image.

He mopped his brow and glanced up to see Luna giving him an amused look. "Relax! I said someday. Besides, I'm on repress meds so we have nothing to worry about!"

Obi-Wan blushed furiously. Focus, he thought to himself. There are far more pressing matters at hand than imagining yourself as a father.

Luke was back on the ground now running back and forth in front of the small shed Beru had gone inside of. Without warning, he tripped over his feet and fell flat scraping his knee on a rock. He wasn't badly injured, but he screamed and tears filled his big blue eyes.

Luna froze beside him. Her eyes focused on Luke and she sat totally still hardly breathing. She was having a vision! A few minutes later, she gasped for breath and the glazed look left her eyes.

"What did you see?"

"It was him. The man who is coming. He's so angry…but desperately sad also. He's on his way."

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know. A hospital or medical center maybe? It is very sterile looking and it feels remote somehow. He's searching for information."

Obi-Wan had a very bad feeling about this. "Did you see any other beings?"

"There are droids. And a being I've never seen before. It didn't really have a face. Only eyes."

Oh,no. His fears were confirmed. "Polis Massans".


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Luna watched as Obi-Wan threw a few items into his bag. "Are you sure it's the best idea to go after him? Maybe we should wait until he gets here…"

"Your dream specifically said "Don't let him come." Polis Massa is the only place in the galaxy where there could be information that Luke and Leia are still alive. When we left, the physicians promised to keep everything a secret, and wiped all the data about their births from their records, but it's possible we may have overlooked something. If this person finds anything, I need to end it there before the information has any chance of getting into the wrong hands." He opened his trunk and extracted his lightsaber with a snap hiss, experimentally swinging it back and forth and spinning it in his hand with a flourish before he turned it off and put it into his bag. "I am counting on you to watch over Luke until I return."

"I will. I'll do everything I can to make sure he is safe." she promised. "Oh, Obi-Wan, I know you have to go, but please be careful." He finished closing his bag and walked over to her, pulling her into an embrace. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. "Come back to me." She whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you!"

"Try not to worry my darling. I'll be back as soon as I can." he murmured into her ear. "I love you." They shared a sweet lingering kiss before he climbed into the speeder and headed towards Mos Eisley.

….

Karis had come to Polis Massa on a hunch, not knowing what exactly it was he expected to find when he got there. When he arrived, the Polis Massans had been very welcoming. He quickly made up a story about how he had been traveling to the unknown regions when he started feeling ill. He asked if they could help him and they took him to the Medical Center immediately. Once there, he was placed in an examination room where a physician and a medical droid took his vital signs and asked him what was the problem. He made up a long list of symptoms, and the physician ordered a barrage of tests. Soon the droid was zipping up and down the hall from his exam room to the adjoining lab completing the tests. While he was gone, Karis took the opportunity to slip a data chip into the computer that was in the exam room. He managed to download everything he needed to slice back into their systems from his ship.

Once the tests were done, the droid came back.

"We are happy to report there is nothing medically wrong with you Mr. Kranser. You are in perfect health for a human of your age. It is possible you are suffering from something called hypochondria…" The droid yammered on.

He pretended to listen politely, and then began collecting his things. "Well, thanks anyway. If everything is alright, I'll head back to my ship." As soon as he was back He wasted no time using the information from his data chip and soon he was going through all the records from the Medical Center. He could find no records on Padme Amidala so he did a general search for all cases that had been seen during the week she died. All the patients were male and none were human. He sighed in frustration. What was he missing?

A shift list of medical droids and staff that had worked that week caught his eye. Something jumped out at him. An EW-3 midwife droid. If all the patients were male, why would they need a midwife droid? It had been active for several hours so it couldn't be a mistake. Suddenly he thought of something. He pulled up the nutrition records from the cafeteria on what had been served to patients that day. At the bottom of the list, there it was. Infant formula.

He now had proof that someone had been here and had given birth. The baby was obviously still alive if it needed formula. But, was it actually Skywalker's child, and if so where was it now? He needed more time to search for the answers he knew must be here somewhere.

He had to find that droid. Even if it had been through a memory wipe, it was possible to recover some information if you knew where to look. He waited until dark and snuck back into the building. It didn't take long to find a room full of droids all in power down mode. He remembered from the inventory list that there was only one EW-3 Midwife droid in the Medical Center and quickly found it among the others. He ran back to check that the hallway was clear and shut the door. Thankfully it was a quiet night and nobody seemed to be around.

A feeling of euphoria began to build inside Karis. If he could manage to salvage the memory on this droid, it would finally give him the answer he so desperately sought. He attached his computer to the droid with a small cable and set to work. After several hours of painstaking work, he finally managed to find a way to restore some of the memory from the holocam recording device.

He sifted through recording after recording of different species giving birth, shuddering at the blood and gore. Finally, there she was. Throughout the labor, Senator Amidala kept slipping in and out of contiousness. Once in an almost delirious state, she pitifully called for Anakin. That was all the proof he was looking for! He watched the whole recording until it ended with her dying words. "Obi-Wan, there's good in him. I know. I know there is still…"

His head was spinning. Twins! And it was almost certain that Vader didn't know they existed! Obi-Wan Kenobi must have hidden them.

A plan began to form in his mind. He'd find them, and when he did, he'd make sure they suffered the same fate as his brother. He quickly made himself a copy of the recording. "I've got you now, you bastard!" he pounded his fist on the console in triumph and waved the data chip containing the recording in the air. "Now I just have to find them."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Karis whirled around and found himself face to face with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"You!?" He could barely contain his shock. "What are you doing here?"

….

Obi-Wan set the coordinates for Tatooine and sat back in his seat. He rubbed his jaw trying to ease the soreness. He'd have a bruise there tomorrow. At least now he wouldn't have to worry about anyone finding anything on Polis Massa again.

This had been a breathtakingly close call. If he had arrived a few minutes later, the information about Luke and Leia might even now be on it's way straight to Vader. It was a sobering thought.

He had tried reasoning with Karis. After all, he was the great negotiator. He had almost felt sorry for the man who obviously had suffered a terrible loss at the hands of his former friend. However, no matter what he said Karis had set his mind on revenge and nothing would change it.

The confrontation had finally become violent. Karis pulled out a blaster and fired 5 or 6 shots which he easily deflected with his lightsaber. Then he had run out of the room blasting as he went with Obi-Wan in hot pursuit.

As they rounded a corner, Karis slipped and sprawled on the floor. As he scrambled to his feet, Obi-Wan tackled him from behind. His blaster went flying and the two men wrestled on the floor punching and kicking until Obi-Wan Force stunned him. He debated what to do with him then. He couldn't just let him go, but he couldn't bring himself to kill him either. Finally he reached into his mind and removed all memories of the events that had just occurred and gave him a strong Force suggestion to forget about seeking vengeance on Darth Vader. Then he put the still unconscious Karis back on his ship and set the autopilot to take him back to Coruscant.

After that, he met again with the Polis Massans who agreed to melt down the midwife droid and destroy all the other records Karis had managed to find. Finally satisfied that they were now safe from discovery, Obi-Wan boarded his rented ship and headed back home.

Looking out the window at the blue glow of hyperspace was very relaxing. His mind began to wander back home to his beautiful Luna. It had only been a few standard days, but he missed her terribly. He couldn't wait to get home and hold her close so he could bury his face in her silky dark hair that always smelled like citrus and flowers. The need to be close to her was almost a physical ache. Is this was how spice addicts felt?

He wondered what she was doing right now. According to the chrono it was the middle of the night on Tatooine. She was probably in bed he thought, remembering how sweet she always looked when she slept. He probed lightly at their bond. Yes, she was asleep. It amazed him how keenly he felt her from this distance. It spoke volumes about the depth of their connection. All of a sudden he had an idea. With a bond this strong, he might be able to…. A sly smile crossed his face.

…

Thousands of miles away Luna tossed and turned in her sleep. She was worried about Obi-Wan, and exhausted from spending the whole day on the ridge in the desert heat watching over Luke. It was a very warm night and she couldn't get comfortable. She kicked off the covers and lay there too tied to really wake up, but awake enough to miss Obi-Wan's comforting presence. She languidly stretched across the bed onto his side. If only he were here!

Suddenly she felt a ripple of energy across her skin from head to toe. It felt wonderfully warm and erotic. She could sense Obi-Wan's presence even though he wasn't actually there. The caresses began to focus on her breasts, lightly teasing her nipples into hard sensitive peaks. How was he doing this?! She writhed on the bed moaning as the sensation went on and on, pushing her closer to the edge. At last a tendril of energy slid down her body and between her legs caressing her inner thighs and swirling around the place she needed it most again and again. "Oh, Ben! Yes…Ben!" She cried, arching her back as she came in a shattering climax.

Luna lay there unable to move as aftershocks from the intense orgasm wracked her body.

 _"_ _Mmmm…Oh Ben. I miss you Come home."_ She sent.

 _"_ _I'm on my way!"_ came his reply.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Obi-Wan parked the speeder outside the hut and got out slowly. He stretched, trying to ease the sore muscles in his back that were stiff from hours of riding. How glad he was to be back! He was in a celebratory mood. The crisis on Polis Massa had been averted, and Luke was safe once more. He looked around feeling a bit surprised that Luna hadn't come out to meet him. He really hoped she was home. After last night's escapades through the Force, he was feeling very tightly wound.

Just as he approached the door, a small blond head peeked out. What was Luke doing here? He ran up to Obi-Wan with a bright happy grin and waved at him. "HI!" He shouted before turning and running back inside.

Obi-Wan shook his head and laughed to himself. It was impossible not to in the presence of such a charming little boy. Inside the hut he found Luna and Beru sitting at the table having tea while Luke played on the floor.

"Ben!" Luna leaped to her feet and threw herself into his arms. He laughed, spinning her around and kissing her soundly. He was so glad to see her, he didn't even feel self-conscious in front of Beru, who stood and greeted him warmly.

"Well, what's all this then?" He asked once everyone had settled down a bit.

"I invited Beru and Luke over for the afternoon so that we could get to know each other better." Luna replied. "We are neighbors after all."

"Yes. I'm so glad you did. We will have to do it again soon. It is so nice to have another woman close by for a change!" She glanced around for Luke who was looking at some picture books Luna had pulled up on her data pad for him. "We should be going though or I'll be late getting dinner ready for Owen. We've had a very nice time, haven't we Luke?" She ruffled the boys hair. "What do you say, sweetheart?"

Luke stopped what he was doing and walked over to Luna. He held the data pad up to her and said very politely, "Thank you very much!" It was quite a mouthful for such a little one.

"We've been working on our manners." Beru said in a stage whisper.

Luna knelt down and took the data pad from him. "You are very welcome Luke. Come see me again soon!"

"Soon!" He giggled and threw his arms around her neck.

"Alright young one. Time to go." Obi-Wan picked him up and tossed him in the air, tickling him under the arms as he caught him. He squealed with laughter as he was handed to Beru. Off they went back down the path towards the Lars farm. Luke turned around in her arms and waved. "Bye-bye!" he yelled over her shoulder as they rounded the corner that took them out of sight.

Obi-Wan turned to Luna once they were out of sight and pulled her into his arms. She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a passionate kiss.

"Welcome back!" She whispered and began trailing kisses down his neck. "I missed you."

He closed his eyes and relished the sensation. Having been sent on hundreds of missions over his career as a Jedi he had been through many homecomings, but being missed was a new experience. What a wonderful feeling to have someone who really cared if he came back!

…

That afternoon they lay in bed discussing what had happened during his trip. He described finding Karis, and the fight that had ensued. Luna listened with interest to the whole story and asked questions as he went.

"So, you took away his memories of what happened and then sent him back to Coruscant on autopilot?"

"Yes. He should be almost home by now I imagine." Luna had snuggled under his arm with her head on his shoulder. He began threading his fingers through her silky hair.

"I wonder what happened when he came around?" She asked.

"Why?"

"Well, I imagine he must have been really confused waking up alone on a ship in hyperspace with no idea how he got there." She started to giggle. It was rather humorous come to think of it. Before long they were laughing merrily.

"So what were you and Beru talking about before I came in? How did you get her to visit?"

"I spent three days out in the suns watching them from that ridge. I finally couldn't stand the heat any longer so I went down and introduced myself." At this Obi-Wan opened his mouth to say something, but she stopped him. "Don't worry. I didn't tell her about the dream. I just said that I was your girlfriend. She thought it was a social call and she was so nice I asked her to come over for the afternoon. We spent most of the time talking about you actually. Were your ears burning?"

"Me? What did she say? What did you say?" He looked slightly horrified.

"She told me what I already know."

"Which is?"

"That you're a wonderfully kind and caring man who has done everything he can to protect his best friend's son. And that you want to help Luke but her husband is too stubborn and pig-headed to let you. If it was just up to her I think she'd let you train him in a minute."

"She said that?" Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up.

"Well no, not exactly. But I could read between the lines." She looked up at him and smiled suggestively. "She said something else too."

"What was that, pray tell?" He looked at her curiously.

"That you're crazy about me." Luna giggled.

"Is that so?" He tried to hide a smile, but failed miserably.

"Yes. I believe the actual word she used was besotted."

"Besotted?" He raised one eyebrow. "I didn't realize Beru was so indiscreet. In the future I'll be more careful what I say to her."

"You're not mad are you?" Luna asked. He quickly flipped her over, pressing her back into the mattress and pinning her hands.

"How could I be upset. It is the truth, after all." He gazed into her clear green eyes. In their depths he saw beauty and love, peace and hope and light all reflecting back at him and he realized something. Everything was going to be alright. He had experienced a lifetimes worth of hurt and sorrow and uncertainty during the last year, but he had put his trust in the Force. In return he had received something totally unexpected. It was more than he'd ever imagined or even dared hope for.

Now the future stretched ahead of him. There were more perils and hardships coming, he was certain of that. He thought of Luke, just on the brink of discovering his powers and his uncle standing in the way of the training he so desperately needed. It wouldn't be easy to get past Owen's prejudices. There was also the ever present threat of discovery by the Empire. But, with Luna at his side and his trust in the Force, he could face anything.

He ground his hips against her letting her feel his excitement and kissed her until she was breathless taking great satisfaction in her swollen lips and the dazed expression on her face. He leaned close, his breath hot on her ear and whispered, "Now then, I'll show you besotted!"

THE END

….

Thank you so much to all of you who have read and reviewed my story. It's the first thing I've written in ages and all your support helped me push through the harder sections to finish this. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you would like a sequel please let me know. I have some ideas, and if I get enough feed back I'll get started on one. I reply to everyone who reviews. May the Force be with you! :)

*Obviously I don't own any of the Star Wars characters. They all belong to Disney. This was written for fun and nothing more.


	17. Chapter 17

The sequel to this story is now up. Check out my profile for "Trust in the Force Part II. Thanks again for your continued interest in my writings. I hope you enjoy it! :)


	18. Chapter 18

If you enjoyed this story and are interested in more of Obi-Wan and Luna's adventures together, I have just published a new story called "A Day in the Life". It will cover events that are skipped over in _Trust in the Force_ and _Trust in the Force Part II_. I hope you will check it out! Happy reading! :)

Smack77


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